U.S. Highway 17(US 17) in the U.S. state ofNorth Carolinais a north–south highway that is known as the Coastal Highway in the southeastern half of the state and the Ocean Highway in other areas. The route enters the state fromSouth CarolinanearCalabashand leaves in the vicinity of theGreat Dismal Swamp National Wildlife RefugeinVirginia.Between theUS 64freeway and the Virginia state line, US 17 is a four-lane divided highway with speed limits varying between 45 mph (72 km/h) and 70 mph (110 km/h).
 U.S. Highway 17 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Highway | ||||
 US 17 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byNCDOT | ||||
| Length | 286.0 mi[1](460.3 km) | |||
| Existed | 1927–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 17at theSouth Carolinastate line | |||
| North end | US 17at theVirginiastate line | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | North Carolina | |||
| Counties | Brunswick,New Hanover,Pender,Onslow,Jones,Craven,Beaufort,Martin,Bertie,Chowan,Perquimans,Pasquotank,Camden | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editUS 17 entersBrunswick CountyinCarolina Shoresamid a variety of golf course communities. Carolina Shores was part of Calabash until 1998.
InWilmington,US 17 (here concurrent withUS 76andUS 421) crosses theCape Fear RiverbetweenNew Hanoverand Brunswick counties over theCape Fear Memorial Bridge.US 17 then travels east through the city of Wilmington with US 76 on Wooster/Dawson streets and Oleander Drive, intersectingUS 117,North Carolina Highway 132(NC 132), andUS 74.At the end of the US 76concurrencynearWrightsville Beach,US 17 travels north as Military Cutoff Road before meeting up with Market Street andUS 17 Business(US 17 Bus.) and exiting the city northeast.[2]North ofHolly Ridge,US 17 begins to move further away from theAtlantic Coast.Then, it bypasses Jacksonville along withNC 24.BetweenNew BernandJames City,US 17 (concurrent withUS 70andNC 55) crosses theTrent Riverby way of the Freedom Memorial Bridge. Farther east, between James City andBridgeton,US 17, still concurrent with NC 55, crosses theNeuse Riverover the Neuse River Bridge. Traffic going north on US 17 when using US 70's concurrency can bypass New Bern altogether viaNC 43,ironically both the west end of US 17's concurrency on US 70 and NC 43's southern terminus both, respectively have a north and south protrusion ofunused highwaysince full cloverleaf junctions were scrapped in the area.[clarification needed]
US 17 enters intoWashingtonas it splits into its business route and mainline freeway bypass, crossing thePamlico Riverover the Pamlico–Tar River Bridge on both stretches, shortly before the route intersects withUS 264.Farther along inBear Grass,US 17 joins a concurrency with a limited-access portion ofUS 13/US 64,although US 64 moves east before US 13/US 17 reachesWilliamston,where the limited-access segment ends. US 13/US 17 uses the Roanoke River Bridge to cross theRoanoke River,then, before US 13 moves onto the interchange with North King Street, it crosses the Cashie River Bridge over theCashie RiveratWindsor.At theBertie–Chowancounty line, US 17 traverses theChowan Riverfrom Edenhouse toEdenton.East of Edenton, US 17 shares a concurrency withNC 37until they reachHertfordwhere it branches off to the northwest ontoUS 17 Bus.US 17 crosses thePerquimans Rivervia the Perquimans River Bridge. BetweenPerquimansandPasquotankcounties, US 17 crosses theLittle Riverover the Little River Bridge. A bypass route splits off to the northwest as US 17 (Mainline) continues intoElizabeth Cityas Hughes Boulevard, picking up concurrency withUS 158until US 158 splits off to the west atMorgan's Corner.US 17 crosses thePasquotank RiverbetweenMorgan's Cornerin Pasquotank County andSouth MillsinCamden County,before entering Virginia adjacent to theGreat Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
History
edit
US 17 was established in 1927, traversing fromSouth Carolina,nearFair Bluff,toVirginia,nearSouth Mills.Its routing was placed along the following state highways:NC 202,from the South Carolina state line toChadbourn;NC 20,from Chadbourn toWilmington;NC 30,from Wilmington toWindsor;NC 342,from Windsor toElizabeth City;NC 34,from Elizabeth City toMorgan's Corner;and NC 341, from Morgans Corner to the Virginia state line.[3]
In May 2015, theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) approved a request to reroute US 17 back through Wilmington, following US 76 along Oleander Drive and Military Cutoff Road. The justification for the route change was to better serve industry and commerce.[4]In May 2017, US 17 was officially rerouted through Wilmington, ending its northern bypass route.[5]
Interstate proposals
editAs a major north–south corridor through the coastal area, US 17 has been the target of variousInterstate Highwayproposals over the years. The earliest known proposal was in 1964, with a proposal supported by then-GovernorTerry Sanford,was to build a new Interstate fromFayettevilletoNorfolk, Virginia,viaUS 13and US 17. Designated Interstate 13 (I-13), it received support from various local officials but was not supported by theNorth Carolina Highway Commission,which ended discussions.[6]
During the mid-1990s through mid-2000s,I-99was proposed betweenCharleston, South Carolina,andWilmington, Delaware,completely overlapping all of US 17 in North Carolina. In 2006, theVirginia Department of Transportation(VDOT) completed a study on the feasibility of the Interstate and concluded with the high cost and disinterest of other states, notablySouth Carolina,that it was not feasible and recommend to not pursue further.[7]
In 2012, theNorth Carolina Department of Transportation(NCDOT) backed and presented a letter to theFederal Highway Administration(FHWA) requesting the establishment of a new high priority corridor betweenRaleighand Norfolk, designatedI-44(orI-50,withI-56andI-89as other possible numbers). This corridor followsUS 64and US 17, north ofWilliamston.[8]The following year,I-495was established east of Raleigh and was routed on part of this proposed route. In 2014, various supporters, including GovernorPat McCrory,RepresentativeG. K. Butterfield,NCDOT, and the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), have made cases and written letters to federal officials in support of the new Interstate corridor.[9][10][11]In 2016, AASHTO approved designation ofI-87along US 17 between Williamston and the Virginia state line.
North Carolina Highway 341
edit North Carolina Highway 341 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Morgan's Corner–Virginiastate line |
| Length | 10.4 mi[12](16.7 km) |
| Existed | 1921–1934 |
North Carolina Highway 341(NC 341) was an original state highway that traversed fromNC 34,in Morgan's Corner, toSouth Mills.In 1923, it was extended north to the Virginia state line, meeting up withSR 40.In 1927, it was completely overlapped with US 17, which subsequently replaced it outright in 1934.[3]
Future
editInChowan County,the existing freeway section of US 17, which bypassesEdenton,will be fully upgraded to modernInterstate standards.At a cost of $13 million, it will mainly focus on widening travel lanes and building shoulders; construction is planned to start in 2025.[13]
Junction list
edit| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | Carolina Shores | 0.0 | 0.0 |  US 17south –Myrtle Beach | South Carolinastate line | |
| |  I-74(Carolina Bays Parkway) | Proposed interchange (unfunded)[14][15] | ||||
| Grissettown | 6.9 | 11.1 |  NC 904–Ocean Isle Beach,Tabor City | |||
| Shallotte | 11.9 | 19.2 |   US 17 Bus.north –Shallotte | |||
| 13.2 | 21.2 |  NC 130–Shallotte,Whiteville | ||||
| 16.0 | 25.7 | US 17 Bus.south –Shallotte | ||||
| Supply | 21.6 | 34.8 |  NC 211–Bolton,St. James,Southport | |||
| | 23.6 | 38.0 | US 17 Bus.north (Old Ocean Highway) –Bolivia | Superstreetintersection | ||
| | 28.6 | 46.0 |  NC 906south (Galloway Road) –Oak Island | Northern terminus of NC 906 | ||
| Bolivia | 30.5 | 49.1 | US 17 Bus.south (Old Ocean Highway) –Bolivia | |||
| Winnabow | 35.0 | 56.3 |  NC 87south –Boiling Spring Lakes,Southport | South end of NC 87 overlap | ||
| | 38.3 | 61.6 | NC 87north –Elizabethtown | North end of NC 87 overlap, superstreet intersection | ||
| | 39.2 | 63.1 | 39 |   I-140east –Topsail Island,Jacksonville,New Bern | I-140 exit 1 | |
| Leland | 44.0 | 70.8 |    US 74/US 76west –Whiteville | West end of US 74/US 76 overlap; south end of freeway section | ||
| 45.0 | 72.4 |  NC 133south –Belville,Southport,Oak Island | West end of NC 133 overlap | |||
| | 47.0 | 75.6 |   US 74east /US 421/NC 133north –Wrightsville Beach,Battleship NC,Clinton | East end of US 74 and north end of US 421/NC 133 overlap | ||
| New Hanover | Cape Fear River | Cape Fear Memorial Bridge | ||||
| Wilmington | State Port(US 421 Trucksouth) | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; north end of freeway section | ||||
| US 421south /US 17 Bus.north (3rd Street) –Carolina Beach,Kure Beach,Downtown Wilmington | South end of US 421 overlap; toNorth Carolina AquariumandFort Fisher State Park | |||||
    US 117/NC 132(College Road) toI-40–Carolina Beach,UNC Wilmington | Interchange; to theNorth Carolina State Ports Authority | |||||
| US 74/US 76east (Eastwood Road) –Wrightsville Beach | East end of US 76 overlap | |||||
| US 17 Bus.south (Market Street) –Downtown Wilmington | ||||||
 NC 417north (Military Cutoff Road) | Opened on September 28, 2023; Future US 17 Bypass | |||||
| Kirkland |  NC 140west toI-140/I-40–Myrtle Beach,Benson | |||||
| Pender | Hampstead | 69.1 | 111.2 |  NC 210west –Rocky Point | West end of NC 210 overlap | |
| | 77.7 | 125.0 | NC 210east –Surf City,Topsail Beach | East end of NC 210 overlap | ||
| Onslow | Holly Ridge | 81.9 | 131.8 |  NC 50(Ocean Road) –Surf City,Maple Hill | ||
| Folkstone | 86.3 | 138.9 |  NC 172north (Sneads Ferry Road) –Sneads Ferry | Southern terminus of NC 172 | ||
| Dixon | 89.9 | 144.7 | NC 210west (Rifle Range Road) –Topsail Beach,Sneads Ferry | Southern terminus of NC 210 | ||
| Jacksonville | 101.2 | 162.9 | US 17 Bus.north –Jacksonville | South end of freeway section; northbound left exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 101.6 | 163.5 |    NC 24west toUS 258–Richlands,Kinston | West end of NC 24 overlap; southbound access to US 17 Bus. northbound | |||
| 104.6 | 168.3 | Montford Point Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| 105.0 | 169.0 | 109 | NC 24east /NC 24 Bus.west –Camp Lejeune,Morehead City | East end of NC 24 overlap | ||
| 106.4 | 171.2 | 110 | West Huff Drive | |||
| 107.2 | 172.5 | 111 | US 17 Bus.south toUS 258/ Jacksonville Parkway –Jacksonville (Downtown) | North end of freeway section; no exit number southbound | ||
| Jones | Maysville | 120.5 | 193.9 |  NC 58south –Cape Cateret,Emerald Isle | South end of NC 58 overlap | |
| Pollocksville | 127.5 | 205.2 | 130 | NC 58north –Trenton | North end of NC 58 overlap | |
| | 132.7 | 213.6 | 136 | US 17 Bus.north –New Bern | At-grade intersection;south end of expressway section | |
| Craven | | 132.8 | 213.7 | 141B |  US 70west –Kinston | South end of US 70 overlap; left entrance northbound, left exits; US 70 exit 410A |
| | 139.1 | 223.9 | 411 |  NC 43north –Greenville,Vanceboro | Southern terminus of NC 43; exit numbers follow US 70 | |
| New Bern | 141.3 | 227.4 | Glenburnie Road –Craven Community College | |||
| 142.3 | 229.0 | 414 | US 17 Bus.–New Bern,Jacksonville | |||
| 143.9 | 231.6 | 416 |  NC 55west (Pembroke Road) –Trent Woods | West end of NC 55 overlap | ||
| James City | 145.1 | 233.5 | 417 | US 70east / East Front Street (US 17 Bus.south) –New Bern,Havelock,Morehead City | Signed as exits 417A (Front St.) and 417B (US 70); east end of US 70 overlap; exit to US 70 east not numbered northbound; US 70 west exit 417B | |
| Bridgeton | 147.8 | 237.9 | NC 55east –Bayboro | East end of NC 55 overlap | ||
| Emul | 158.2 | 254.6 | NC 43south (Weyerhaeuser Road) –New Bern | South end of NC 43 overlap | ||
| Vanceboro | 161.7 | 260.2 | US 17 Bus./NC 43north –Vanceboro,Greenville | North end of NC 43 overlap | ||
| 165.1 | 265.7 | US 17 Bus.south –Vanceboro | ||||
| Beaufort | | 172.0 | 276.8 |  NC 102west –Ayden | Eastern terminus of NC 102 | |
| | 177.1 | 285.0 | US 17 Bus.north –Chocowinity | Superstreetintersection, south end of freeway | ||
| Chocowinity | 177.9 | 286.3 | 176 |  NC 33–Chocowinity,Greenville | Folded Diamond Interchange | |
| Washington | 181.9 | 292.7 | 180 |  US 264–Washington,Greenville | ||
| 182.7 | 294.0 | US 17 Bus.south (Carolina Avenue) –Washington | Superstreetintersection; north end of freeway | |||
| Old Ford | 187.2 | 301.3 |  NC 171north –Jamesville | Southern terminus of NC 171 | ||
| Martin | Williamston | 200.5 | 322.7 | 514 |   US 13south /US 64west /US 17 Bus.north –Williamston,Tarboro | South end of US 13 and west end of US 64 overlap |
| 202.0 | 325.1 | 515 | US 64east –Plymouth,Manteo | East end of US 64 overlap; southbound access via US 64 Alt. | ||
| 202.2 | 325.4 |  US 64 Alt.(Jamesville Road) toUS 64east | ||||
| 203.4 | 327.3 | US 17 Bus.south (Main Street) | ||||
| Bertie | Windsor | 214.6 | 345.4 |  US 13north /US 17 Byp.north –Ahoskie,Edenton | North end of US 13 and south end of US 13 Bus overlap | |
| 214.7 | 345.5 | US 13 Bus.north (Granville Street) | North end of US 13 Bus overlap | |||
| 215.6 | 347.0 |  NC 308west (King Street) | West end of NC 308 overlap | |||
| 216.8 | 348.9 | NC 308east (Cooper Hill Road) | East end of NC 308 overlap | |||
| | 222.5 | 358.1 | US 17 Byp.south –Williamston | |||
| Midway | 225.9 | 363.6 |  NC 45–Plymouth,Colerain | |||
| Chowan River | Eden House Bridge; south end of expressway | |||||
| Chowan | | 232.9 | 374.8 | 224 | US 17 Bus.north (Queen Street) –Edenton | |
| Edenton | 235.0 | 378.2 | 226 | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue | ||
| 236.1 | 380.0 | 227 |  NC 32(Virginia Road) –Edenton | |||
| 237.2 | 381.7 | 228 | Paradise Road | |||
| | 238.7 | 384.2 | 230 | US 17 Bus.south (Broad Street) –Edenton | North end of expressway | |
| Perquimans | | 240.9 | 387.7 |  NC 37south –Plymouth,Columbia | South end of NC 37 overlap | |
| Hertford | 246.8 | 397.2 | US 17 Bus.north –Hertford | |||
| Winfall | 250.0 | 402.3 | US 17 Bus.south /NC 37north –Hertford | North end of NC 37 overlap | ||
| Pasquotank | Rabbit Corner | 257.9 | 415.0 | 254 | Okisko Road | South end of freeway section |
| | 258.5 | 416.0 | 255 | US 17 Byp.north –Chesapeake VA | North end of freeway section; northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
| Elizabeth City | 263.2 | 423.6 | US 17 Bus.north (Ehringhaus Street) –Elizabeth City | |||
| 263.6 | 424.2 |  NC 344(Halstead Boulevard) –Weeksville | ||||
| 264.7 | 426.0 |  US 158east (Elizabeth Street) –Camden,Outer Banks | East end of US 158 overlap | |||
| 265.6 | 427.4 | US 17 Bus.south (Road Street south) | ||||
| | 272.9 | 439.2 | 264 | US 17 Byp.south toUS 158–Hertford,Edenton | Partial interchange; at-grade access to southbound/from northbound, left exit southbound, left entrance northbound; US 17 Byp. exit 264 | |
| Morgans Corner | 276.0 | 444.2 | US 158west –Sunbury | West end of US 158 overlap | ||
| Camden | South Mills | 277.4 | 446.4 | US 17 Bus.north –South Mills,Nags Head | ||
| | 279.8 | 450.3 |  US 17 Bus.south /NC 343–South Mills,Camden | |||
| | 286.0 | 460.3 | US 17north –Chesapeake | Virginiastate line | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
Special routes
editThere are numerous existing and formerspecial routesof US 17 within the state of North Carolina.
See also
edit- North Carolina Bicycle Route 3:Concurrent with US 17 at multiple locations
- North Carolina Bicycle Route 5:Concurrent with US 17 on its NC 133 concurrency
References
edit- ^ab"U.S. Route 17 in North Carolina"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedMay 22,2014.
- ^"Certificate of Rulemaking"(PDF).North Carolina Department of Transportation.May 17, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 9,2018.
- ^abState Highway System of North Carolina(PDF)(Map). Cartography by NCDOT. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1930.RetrievedMarch 28,2015.
- ^Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 14, 2015)."Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering Spring 2015 Report to the Standing Committee on Highways"(PDF)(Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 4. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 3, 2019.RetrievedJune 24,2017.
- ^"Route Changes (2017-05-17)"(PDF).North Carolina Department of Transportation. May 17, 2017.RetrievedJune 24,2017.
- ^"Sanford Backs New Road Plan".Star-News.Wilmington, NC. April 17, 1964.RetrievedMarch 28,2015.
- ^Homer, Pierce R. (November 2006)."Construction of I-99: Appropriation Act Item 427 H. (Special Session I, 2006)"(PDF).Virginia Department of Transportation.RetrievedAugust 10,2013.
- ^Gibson, Terry R. (November 27, 2012)."Designation of I-44"(PDF).Letter to John F. Sullivan III. Raleigh, NC:North Carolina Department of Transportation.RetrievedMay 15,2014.
- ^Tata, Anthony J. (June 11, 2014)."Route to Opportunity and Development Act (ROAD Act)"(PDF).Letter to G.K. Butterfield. North Carolina Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 4, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 4,2014.
- ^"Future Interstate Designation: Raleigh, NC to Norfolk, VA"(PDF).North Carolina Department of Transportation. June 11, 2014. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 5, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 4,2014– via Regional Transportation Alliance.
- ^"Interstate 495 to Rocky Mount—Future I-44 to Hampton Roads".Raleigh, NC: Regional Transportation Alliance. December 14, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 16,2014.
- ^"North Carolina Highway 341"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedMarch 28,2015.
- ^"SPOT ID: H141869"(PDF).North Carolina Department of Transportation. September 22, 2014.RetrievedMarch 28,2015.
- ^Staff."I-74 Feasibility Study".North Carolina Department of Transportation.RetrievedMay 22,2014.
- ^I-74 Feasibility Map(PDF)(Map). North Carolina Department of Transportation.RetrievedMay 22,2014.
External links
edit
Media related toU.S. Route 17 in North Carolinaat Wikimedia Commons- NCRoads: U.S. 17
- NCRoads: U.S. 17-A
- NCRoads: U.S. 17 Business
- North Carolina @ AARoads - U.S. Highway 17
