North Carolina Highway 44

NC Highway 44 marker

NC Highway 44
Goldsboro Bypass

Current route of NC 44 in solid red, future route of bypass in dotted red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length: 9.8 mi[1] (15.8 km)
Existed: 2011[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: US 70 in Goldsboro
 
East end: Wayne Memorial Drive near Goldsboro
Location
Counties: Wayne
Highway system
← NC 43NC 45 →

North Carolina Highway 44 (NC 44) is a primary state highway in the state of North Carolina. The highway is a temporary designation for the Goldsboro Bypass, which when completed will be rebranded as U.S. Route 70 Bypass (US 70 By-pass).

Route description

NC 44 is a four-lane freeway that traverses 9.8 miles (15.8 km), starting from US 70, west of Goldsboro, to Wayne Memorial Drive, north of Goldsboro.[3][4] It currently serves as faster alternative route (70mph/110kmh) to I-795. Mile markers along the route are based off US 70.

History

Construction started on the 3.9 miles (6.3 km) central section of the Goldsboro Bypass on October 9, 2008; its contract awarded to Barnhill Contracting Co. of Tarboro.[5] At a cost of $65.5 million, it features three interchanges connecting I-795, US 117 and Wayne Memorial Drive (SR 1556).[4] On December 16, 2011, the central section became the first segment of the Goldsboro Bypass to open; signed as NC 44.[2]

In 2012, both eastern and western sections of the bypass began construction. The 12.5 miles (20.1 km) eastern section's contract was awarded to Barnhill Contracting Co. in February, at a cost of $104.4 million. The 5.9 miles (9.5 km) western section's contract was awarded to S.T. Wooten in July, at a cost of $62.4 million.[1] On September 25, 2015, AASHTO approved the establishment of US 70 Bypass, dependent on the completion of the Goldsboro Bypass.[6][7] On October 17, 2015, the western section became the second segment to open; connecting between US 70 and I-795, with an interchange at NC 581.[3][8][9]

The first NC 44 appeared in 1930 as a new primary routing between US 17-1/NC 40, in Whitakers, and NC 90, in Tarboro.[10] In 1935, NC 44 was extended east through Tarboro, along US 64, to Princeville, then on new primary routing to NC 125, in Oak City. In 1941, NC 44 was extended west, along new primary routing, to NC 48.[11] In 1967, NC 44 was removed from a 0.6-mile (0.97 km) concurrency with NC 11 to NC 125, in Oak City.[12] By 1968, NC 44 was rerouted onto new western bypass of Tarboro, in currency with US 64; its former routing became US 64 Business.[13] In 1994, NC 44 was decommissioned in favor of NC 33, between NC 48 and Tarboro, and NC 111, between Princeville and Oak City.[14][15]

Future

When completed, the Goldsboro Bypass will be 19.6 miles (31.5 km) multi-lane freeway from west of Goldsboro to west of La Grange. It will serve both as a strategic transportation corridor for North Carolina and part of the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET).[7] Total cost will be $246 million and will be signed as US 70 Bypass, replacing NC 44.

The eastern or last segment of the Goldsboro Bypass began construction in 2012 and is expected to be completed in June, 2016; from Wayne Memorial Drive (SR 1556) to US 70, with interchanges at US 13 and Parkstown Road (SR 1714).[1]

Exit list

Westbound NC 44
CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
WayneGoldsboro0.00.0— US 70 westContinuation as US 70
2.03.2351 NC 581
5.99.5355 I‑795 – Goldsboro, WilsonSigned as exit 355A (south) and 355B (north)
7.311.7356 US 117 – Goldsboro
 9.815.8358Wayne Memorial DriveEastbound exit and westbound entrance
  US 13Future interchanges (under construction, to be completed by June 2016)[1]
 Parkstown Road
LenoirLa Grange US 70 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NCDOT: US 70 Goldsboro Bypass". North Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "NCDOT Opens First Section of Goldsboro Bypass to Traffic" (Press release). North Carolina Department of Transportation. December 16, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Staff Reports (October 16, 2015). "Second leg of Goldsboro bypass to open Saturday". The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC). Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "First section of Goldsboro Bypass opens". Raleigh, NC: WRAL-TV. December 16, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Construction begins on Goldsboro Bypass". Raleigh, NC: WRAL-TV. October 9, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Special Committee on US Route Numbering Report to SCOH on September 25, 2015 Meeting" (PDF). AASHTO. September 25, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "US 70 Bypass Application" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. August 24, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Western Section of U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass to Open Saturday" (Press release). North Carolina Department of Transportation. October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Route Change (2016-01-12)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  10. ↑ State Highway System of North Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCSHC. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1930. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ North Carolina Primary Highway System (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCHPWC. North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. 1951. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Route Change (1967-09-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. September 1, 1967. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ North Carolina County Road Survey 1968 (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCSHC / USDOT / FHWA. North Carolina State Highway Commission – Planning and Research Department. 1968. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Route Change (1994-05-09)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. May 9, 1994. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Route Change (1994-05-09)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. October 10, 1994. Retrieved October 17, 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.