North Carolina...
 

US 1:
 

Summary:

Detailed Description:
US 1 through the Tar Heel State is Central North Carolina's most important highway and is designated under the National Highway System (NHS) from Henderson to Rockingham. US 1 is planned to be an expressway for nearly its entire length. The only two lane segment of US 1 that will retain its current status will be the segment from the northern end of the Henderson Bypass at I-85 to the Virginia state line. This segment is not part of the NHS and will not be dualized since I-85 is so closely parallel. US 1 runs through a couple of very small towns and much farmland during this 2-lane stretch.

The remaining two lane segments left on US 1 are in southern Lee County, northeastern Moore County and the entire length of Richmond County. Construction has already begun on the southern Lee / northeastern Moore dualization project from one mile south of the US 15/501 juncture in Tramway (just south of Sanford) to Aiken Road in Lakeview (just south of Vass). Many Moore County residents (mostly Vass area residents) were opposed to the project because of homes being taken away by way of eminent domain and the loss of wetlands, which exist around Aiken Road. This opposition has brought years of delays and environmental studies.

Dualization projects from the Moore/Richmond border to the South Carolina state line will not all begin until at least after 2008-2010 given the fact that it is designated under three separate projects that will begin construction at different times. However, all three projects are funded.

Entering Richmond County towards Ponderosa Road (several miles south of NC 177), US 1 will be dualized as a four lane divided expressway which will finally remove the continuous center turn lane and dangerous passing lanes which once plagued motorists and/or NASCAR fans accessing the Rockingham Speedway. During race weekends, NCDOT has used the center turn lane as a travel lane for peak travel to and from the Rockingham speedway, especially when the race concludes late Sunday afternoon or evening. In addition, NCDOT has also posted detour signs along secondary highways (numbered 1000 and above) to give NASCAR motorists an alternative to avoid US 1. The NC motor Speedway closed in late 2003 as NASCAR went more mainstream by moving the small town NASCAR events into larger cities for larger profits. The Rockingham Dragway, which is across US 1 from the NC Motor Speedway, still remains open for business.

Near the city of Rockingham, a design and study process is underway to build a proposed north-south Rockingham / Hamlet bypass which will be given the designation of US 1. The new highway will start near Ponderosa Road in the northeastern extents of Rockingham and will travel south to Old Cheraw Highway in southern Richmond County. According to the Transportation Improvement Plan, this bypass will be an expressway.

As the Rockingham/Hamlet bypass returns to the current US 1 at Old Cheraw Highway, dualization as an expressway is also slated to occur as far as the South Carolina state line. However, this highway will drop down to 2 lanes at the South Carolina state line. US 1 is also under the designation as the "Future I-73 corridor" from US 74/Future I-74 juncture to Wallace, South Carolina at SC 9. From here, the "I-73 future corridor " signage continues east along SC 9 instead of US 1.

US 1 from Wallace to Camden in South Carolina is a 2 lane highway. There are no plans to dualize US 1 in the near future since it has very light traffic volumes. In addition, it is also not under the designation of the National Highway System (NHS).

History, and Current / Future Improvements:
 

Junction Log:

Southbound Pictures:

• Vass Bypass: (click here)

• Arterial Segment between Vass and Southern Pines: (click here)

• Southern Pines Bypass Southbound: (click here)

Northbound Pictures:

• Southern Pines Bypass Northbound: (click here)

Construction Pictures:

• Vass Bypass Construction Pictures (taken January 2005): (click here)

Expressway Site Recommends:

On the newly opened Vass Bypass, there is a 55mph speed limit throughout the entire new bypass. We strongly recommend that once the final touches are complete (guardrails, signs, paint markings, etc), NCDOT should raise the speed limit between the US 1 BUSINESS's to 60 mph. In the eastern part of the state, US 117 south of Goldsboro is a similar expressway with a 60 mph speed limit and a mix of non-signalized at-grades and interchanges.
 

Related Links:

• Abandoned US 1 in the Carolinas (pictures courtesy of Lou Corsaro)

• US 1 at NC Roads

Sources:
Lou Corsaro wrote the description and junction log. Eric Smith organized the page and wrote the history with help from NCRoads.com. Help was received from Scott Oglesby, Matt Steffora, NCDOT, and Adam Prince, and S.D. Rhodes.

Last Updated: 9/10/05

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