North Carolina Highway 344
Encyclopedia
NC 344 is a north–south state highway
in coastal North Carolina
; it is entirely in Pasquotank County
.
near its mouth with the Albemarle Sound
. NC 344 winds northwestward through rural Pasquotank County
as the two-lane Salem Church and Weeksville Roads, becoming a four-lane with center turning lane thoroughfare at the main gate of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City
.
After having traveled for 14 miles, it enters the limits of Elizabeth City, where it when becomes Halstead Boulevard at its intersection with Herrington Avenue, adjacent to the campus of Elizabeth City State University
. NC 344 continues on for another 5.2 miles, crossing US 17 Business and mainline US 17
before terminating at its junction with US 17 Bypass.
All three highways continued their route east of Elizabeth City, multiplexing with US 158 through Camden county until Belcross, with NC 170 and NC 168 continuing past Sligo, NC to the Virginia border. The creation of NC 34 in 1979 ran from the Pasquotank River
to Sligo, with NC 168 running from the Virginia border to Barco, NC in Currituck County
.
The previously unsigned Halstead Boulevard had become a major commercial corridor along the south side of Elizabeth City starting in the early 1990s. In 2006, NC 34 was truncated to the eastern third of its route from Belcross in Camden County
to Sligo in Currituck County, leaving NC 344 to sign Weeksville Road and Halstead Boulevard to its new terminus with US 17 Bypass
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in coastal North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
; it is entirely in Pasquotank County
Pasquotank County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 40,661 people, 13,907 households, and 9,687 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 14,289 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile...
.
Route description
The highway's southern terminus lies at the shores of the Pasquotank RiverPasquotank River
The Pasquotank River is a coastal water-body in Northeastern North Carolina in the United States. Located between Camden and Pasquotank counties, the Pasquotank connects directly to the Albemarle Sound and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway via Elizabeth City.-History:The name "Pasquotank" is...
near its mouth with the Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
. NC 344 winds northwestward through rural Pasquotank County
Pasquotank County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 40,661 people, 13,907 households, and 9,687 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 14,289 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile...
as the two-lane Salem Church and Weeksville Roads, becoming a four-lane with center turning lane thoroughfare at the main gate of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City is a United States Coast Guard air station located at Elizabeth City Regional Airport in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, along the Pasquotank River near the opening of the Albemarle Sound...
.
After having traveled for 14 miles, it enters the limits of Elizabeth City, where it when becomes Halstead Boulevard at its intersection with Herrington Avenue, adjacent to the campus of Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States...
. NC 344 continues on for another 5.2 miles, crossing US 17 Business and mainline US 17
U.S. Route 17 in North Carolina
In the U.S. state of North Carolina U.S. Route 17 is 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...
before terminating at its junction with US 17 Bypass.
History
Weeksville Road, Herrington Avenue, Road and Water Streets through Elizabeth City, carried the designation of NC 170 from the 1950s, followed by NC 168 from 1958 to 1979, then most recently NC 34 before its conversion to NC 344 in 2006.All three highways continued their route east of Elizabeth City, multiplexing with US 158 through Camden county until Belcross, with NC 170 and NC 168 continuing past Sligo, NC to the Virginia border. The creation of NC 34 in 1979 ran from the Pasquotank River
Pasquotank River
The Pasquotank River is a coastal water-body in Northeastern North Carolina in the United States. Located between Camden and Pasquotank counties, the Pasquotank connects directly to the Albemarle Sound and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway via Elizabeth City.-History:The name "Pasquotank" is...
to Sligo, with NC 168 running from the Virginia border to Barco, NC in Currituck County
Currituck County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:*Currituck National Wildlife Refuge*Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 23,547 people, 6,902 households, and 5,204 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were...
.
The previously unsigned Halstead Boulevard had become a major commercial corridor along the south side of Elizabeth City starting in the early 1990s. In 2006, NC 34 was truncated to the eastern third of its route from Belcross in Camden County
Camden County, North Carolina
-Schools:There are five schools in Camden County: Grandy Primary School, Camden Intermediate School, Camden Middle School, Camden County High School, and CamTech High School. However one other former school lies in Shiloh. It was a community school for the Shiloh area. The school is now home to a...
to Sligo in Currituck County, leaving NC 344 to sign Weeksville Road and Halstead Boulevard to its new terminus with US 17 Bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
.