North Carolina Highway 122

NC Highway 122
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	29.4 mi[1] (47.3 km)
Existed:	1931 – present
Major junctions
south end:	NC 124 in Macclesfield
	US 64 near Tarboro US 64 / US 258 in Tarboro
north end:	NC 125 in Hobgood
Location
Counties:	Edgecombe, Halifax
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← NC 121 NC 123 →

North Carolina Highway 122 (NC 122) is a primary state highway in the Atlantic coastal plain region of North Carolina. The road has a southern terminus at NC 124 in Macclesfield and runs through rural areas to reach its northern terminus at NC 125 in Hobgood. The highway serves several smaller communities along with Tarboro, and intersects two US Highways.

NC 122 first appeared in mid-1931 as a new routing running from NC 12 east of Tarboro to its current northern terminus at NC 125 in Hobgood. The route stayed the same until 1994 when it was extended to its current southern terminus in Macclesfield.

Route description

NC 122 begins at a four-way intersection with NC 122 (Green Street) and Second Street in the main commercial district of Macclesfield. From there the highway runs northeast along Second Street, through a residential area of the town. Leaving Macclesfield, the road name changes to Pinetops-Macclesfield Road and continues toward Pinetops. Pinetops-Macclesfield Road runs through a mixed area of both forests and farms, and crosses Bynum Mill Creek. Entering into Pinetops, the road name once again changes to Second Street, and the highway intersects NC 42 and NC 43 in the main commercial district of the town. Leaving the town, the highway turns northwest, partially NC 43 paralleling to the west. Approaching NC 111, the highway turns back to the northeast before having an intersection with the road. At the intersection NC 111 begins to follow NC 122 along a concurrency north towards Tarboro. Both roads continue through rural areas of farms and forests, before nearing Tarboro.^[1][2]

As the highway approaches Tarboro, it encounters a four way intersection with Wilson Street, Sara Lee Road, and McNair Road. NC 111 continues straight along Wilson Street while NC 122 turns to the left to follow McNair Road. The road remains semi-rural, with several houses and small businesses along the road, however the landscape is still dominated by farms and some small forests. McNair Road crosses U.S. Route 64 (US 64) at a diamond interchange before continuing north. NC 122 intersects Howard Avenue just north of US 64, where it then turns right to head east. The road leaves the rural areas outside of Tarboro and enters into a residential area west of the main commercial district. The road bears to the left at a split intersection with State Road 1208 (SR 1208), to continue following Howard Avenue. Approaching Western Boulevard, the road runs into a commercial district of the city with several shopping centers alongside the road. The road intersects US 64 Alternate (US 64 Alt.) at Western Boulevard, and turns right to run south along a concurrency with the road. NC 122 once again intersects NC 111 at Wilson Street along the southern side of Tarboro, beginning another concurrency with the road as NC 111 turns to Western Boulevard. Continuing to follow the road, NC 122 merges onto US 64/US 258 along with NC 111 to head east along the expressway.^[1][2]

Crossing over the Tar River, NC 122 exits off of US 64 along with US 258, and heads northeast towards Princeville. The highway meets up with NC 33 (S Main Street) in the center of town. After NC 111 breaks away in the eastern part of town, US 258 and NC 122 follow Mutual Boulevard to the northeast. Mutual Boulevard roughly parallels the Tar River to the north, as it enters a rural area east of Princeville. As the roads near an intersection with Shiloh Farm Road (SR 1523), it enters a small residential zone, consisting entirely of small homes. Leaving the residential area, the road intersects Howard Road before turning nearly directly north. At an intersection with Daniels Street, NC 122 turns right to head northeast toward Speed. The two lane road, continues to run through a mix of forests and farms. The state highway passes along the eastern side of Speed. The route continues through the rural mix until reaching the outskirts of Hobgood. Along the outskirts of the town, NC 122 becomes the eastern terminus for NC 97, before becoming Pine Street and heading through the center of the town. The highway heads through a residential district of Hobgood, before reaching its northern terminus at NC 125 in the commercial district of the town.^[1][2]

History

In the mid 1920s, North Carolina state officials opted to move NC 12, from a route linking up the towns of Speed and Hobgood, to a more direct route linking Tarboro and Scotland Neck. The residents of Speed and Hobgood rejected the replacement of the route and brought a court case against the state, pointing towards the 1921 maps showing NC 12 running through the towns. The court ultimately decided that the state could move the road, and subsequently moved NC 12 along a new routing through Lawrence, as seen on the 1924 State Highway Map.^[3][4] NC 122 did not appear on North Carolina state maps until 1931, as a primarily graded route running from NC 12 east of Tarboro to NC 125 in Hobgood. The routing ran along that of NC 12 prior to the switch.^[5]

The route remained unchanged until 1994 when the routing of the highway was changed twice. On May 9th, 1994, NC 122 was extended from its southern terminus, south along US 258 to NC 44 in Princeville. The highway was then ran along a concurrency with NC 111 and NC 33 into Tarboro. The highway then ran along Howard Street, along with NC 33, and followed its current day routing through Pinetops to Macclesfield. Starting in Macclesfield the highway ran along a concurrency with NC 124 east to US 258 in Crisp.^[6] In July in 1994, NC 122 was removed from the routing along NC 124 to Crisp, creating the current southern terminus of the route. NC 124 was also removed from its routing along Howard Street between Main Street (NC 33) and Western Boulevard (US 64 Alt.) in Tarboro, instead placing the route along its current routing along Western Boulevard and US 64/US 258.^[7]

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Edgecombe	Macclesfield	0.0	0.0	NC 124 (Green Street)	Southern terminus of NC 122
	Pinetops	3.3	5.3	NC 42 (HamletStreet) / NC 43
		5.5	8.9	NC 111	South end of NC 111 overlap
	Tarboro	10.3	16.6	NC 111 north (Wilson Street)	North end of NC 111 overlap
		11.0	17.7	US 64 – Raleigh, Tarboro
		13.5	21.7	US 64 Alt. (Western Boulevard)	North end of US 64 Alt. overlap
		14.2	22.9	NC 111 (Wilson Avenue)	North end of NC 111 overlap
		14.8	23.8	US 64 / US 258	South end of US 64 Alt. overlap, west end of US 64 overlap, south end of US 258 overlap
	Princeville	15.7	25.3	US 64 east	East end of US 64 overlap. US 258, NC 122, and NC 111 all merge off of US 64 at exit 486
		16.4	26.4	NC 33 (S Main Street)
		16.8	27.0	NC 111 (Greenwood Boulevard)	East end of NC 111 overlap
		20.2	32.5	US 258 – Scotland Neck	North end of US 258 overlap
Halifax	Hobgood	28.8	46.3	NC 97 west
		29.4	47.3	NC 125 (Commerce Street)	Northern terminus of NC 122
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

1. Google (February 29, 2016). "North Carolina Highway 122" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
2. North Carolina Department of Transportation (2013). State Transportation Map (Map) (2013–14 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina Department of Transportation.
3. Kenneth, Cecil (1931). The State Highway System of North Carolina: Its Evolution and Present Status. University of North Carolina Press.
4. North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission (1924). State Highway System of North Carolina (Map). North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
5. North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission (1931). North Carolina Primary Highway System (Map). North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
6. "Route Change (1994-05-09)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. May 9, 1994. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
7. "Route Change (1994-07-08)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. July 8, 1994. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

External links

• NCRoads.com: N.C. 122