North Carolina Highway 50
Encyclopedia
NC 50 is a major cross-state route in North Carolina
that runs from near the Virginia
border to the Atlantic Ocean
. It is the major north/south route through Wake County
and the state capital of Raleigh
.
, the southern end of Capital Boulevard, and the paired one-way streets of McDowell Street (Northbound) and Dawson Street (Southbound).
South of the city center it uses parts of S. Saunders and S. Wilmington streets (or rather, those streets use NC 50; the through route follows NC 50 and the streets come and go).
There are 2 concurrencies in and around Raleigh:
Throughout the entire length of these concurrencies, the route is known either by the road name OR as US 70. NC 50 or US 401 is ignored when referring to the route.
In Garner, NC 50 splits from US 70 by heading south on Benson Road. From this point to its southern terminus, it parallels I-40
towards Topsail Beach. There used to be a concurrency with NC 24 near Kenansville, but this is now NC 24 Business, as the mainline NC 24 has been routed to follow I-40 and NC 903
to bypass central Kenansville. The road makes a convenient (if slower) alternative to I-40, and was used as a construction detour for I-40 during construction of the US 70 Bypass
interchange in Johnston County in 2006.
, and the only city that the two routings had in common was Raleigh. When US 1 was designated, the old NC 50 was moved to its modern routing both south (1940s) and north (1960s, formerly known as US 15A) of Raleigh.
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...
that runs from near the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
border to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It is the major north/south route through Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
and the state capital of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
Route description
North of the Raleigh city center NC 50 uses Glenwood Avenue and Creedmoor Road on its way to Creedmoor and Oxford. Through downtown it uses a small (less than 1/2 mile) part of Wade AvenueWade Avenue
Wade Avenue is a major road in the The Triangle region of North Carolina that links Interstate 40, Interstate 440 , and downtown Raleigh...
, the southern end of Capital Boulevard, and the paired one-way streets of McDowell Street (Northbound) and Dawson Street (Southbound).
South of the city center it uses parts of S. Saunders and S. Wilmington streets (or rather, those streets use NC 50; the through route follows NC 50 and the streets come and go).
There are 2 concurrencies in and around Raleigh:
- US 70U.S. Route 70U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
between Creedmoor Road in Raleigh and Benson Road in Garner. - US 401U.S. Route 401U.S. Route 401 is an north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that traverses along the fall line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina.-Route description:...
and US 70 between Wade Avenue and Fayetteville Road at the Garner-Raleigh boundary line.
Throughout the entire length of these concurrencies, the route is known either by the road name OR as US 70. NC 50 or US 401 is ignored when referring to the route.
In Garner, NC 50 splits from US 70 by heading south on Benson Road. From this point to its southern terminus, it parallels I-40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
towards Topsail Beach. There used to be a concurrency with NC 24 near Kenansville, but this is now NC 24 Business, as the mainline NC 24 has been routed to follow I-40 and NC 903
North Carolina Highway 903
NC 903 is a 200-mile North Carolina state highway and a semi-rural traffic artery connecting Greenville with many small-to-medium sized towns in the "Down East" and Coastal Plain regions, making many concurrencies with other highways in somewhat of a "zig zag" fashion down eastern North Carolina...
to bypass central Kenansville. The road makes a convenient (if slower) alternative to I-40, and was used as a construction detour for I-40 during construction of the US 70 Bypass
Clayton Bypass
U.S. Route 70 traverses approximately across North Carolina; from the Tennessee state line, near Hot Springs, to the community of Atlantic, along the Pamlico Sound coastline.-Route description:...
interchange in Johnston County in 2006.
History
The modern NC 50 bears little resemblance to the original 1920s NC 50. The original road is now the modern US 1U.S. Route 1 in North Carolina
U.S. Route 1 is an north–south United States highway that runs for from the South Carolina state line, near Rockingham, to the Virginia state line, near Wise...
, and the only city that the two routings had in common was Raleigh. When US 1 was designated, the old NC 50 was moved to its modern routing both south (1940s) and north (1960s, formerly known as US 15A) of Raleigh.
Major Points and Junctions
South to North- Trout Avenue and S. Anderson Boulevard in Topsail Beach (Southern Terminus) at Surf City in Holly Ridge at Maple Hill at Chinquapin near Kenansville in Kenansville from Kenansville to Warsaw from Warsaw to Faison at Faison in Newton Grove near Newton Grove at Peacocks Crossroads near Benson near Benson in Benson in Benson in Johnston County in Johnston County from Garner through Raleigh through Raleigh in Raleigh in Raleigh in Raleigh near Raleigh (Heritage Point) in Wake County in Creedmoor (Northern Terminus)