North Carolina...
 

US 70:
 

Summary - Salisbury to Atlantic:

Detailed Description:

Highways and interchanges built during the 1960's and 1970's in the state of North Carolina are not as prevalent as they are in the northeastern United States. However, if you travel along US 70 in many parts of the state, old interchanges and highway segments exist, but are gradually being phasing out. US 70 has a love affair with multiplexing or running a mile or two parallel to Interstates for the western half of its lifespan in the Tar Heel State. Unlike most US highways in North Carolina that multiplex along a mainline (blue) interstate or freeway, US 70 is signed along the business (green) interstate alignments and/or main boulevards through cities and towns until it becomes a major highway east of Raleigh. It is fair to note that US 70 existed well before I-40/85 signed along US 70. US 70 from Salisbury to the crystal coast will be elaborated on below.

Through its entire multiplex with Green I-85, US 70 has 4 lanes and alternates between expressway and freeway standards. Leaving Salisbury and heading northeast towards Lexington, it has interchanges with ramps dating from the 1960's as well as some occasional right turn lanes for at grade intersections. From I-85 to when it departs from US 52 (Future I-285), US 70 is a freeway. From US 52 to the US 64 junction, it is an expressway with frontage roads. Further north heading into High Point, it runs as an expressway, at times with frontage roads, with some old interchanges and occasional at grades. North of High Point, there are some signalized at-grades. The entire stretch of Green I-85 from Lexington to north of High Point was once part of mainline I-85.

Through the city of Greensboro, US 70 runs with Green 85 through the infamous "Death Valley" area. This fast-paced stretch of highway with numerous ramps going in all directions is notorious for accidents and sometimes fatalities. US 70 veers away from I-40/Green 85 along O'Henry Blvd as a jersey freeway. It then turns to the east along Wendover Ave as it moves towards I-840 (Painter Blvd). From I-840 to near Elon, it has 2 lanes before it becomes a boulevard in Elon. Unfortunately, from east of Mebane to Durham, US 70 has only 2 lanes. Even though I-85/40 is an 8-lane freeway from Greensboro to Hillsborough, US 70 should be multilaned to provide for an alternate route and to be able to accommodate future traffic growth along the I-40/85 corridor. US 70 has a bypass around Hillsborough which also is the truck designation of NC 86 because trucks are prohibited to use city-wide streets through Hillsborough. Despite the importance of the bypass in facilitating thru-trucks, it is only a 2-lane highway with traffic lights and driveways.

Through the Triangle Area (Raleigh-Durham), US 70 cosigns with I-85 through the northern reaches of Durham before breaking off as a short freeway which soon turns into an arterial. This highway, also known as Miami Blvd when no longer US 70 BYPASS, changes its name to Glenwood Ave when it passes from Durham County into Wake County. After intersecting I-540 (Northern Wake Expressway), it then passes near RDU International Airport. As US 70 descends downhill towards Crabtree Valley Mall, it becomes a boulevard. It then passes by US 1/I-440 (Raleigh Beltline), and then progresses further into downtown, still as Glenwood Ave. In downtown Raleigh, US 70 makes a right turn and follows South Saunders St (US 401/NC 50) as a brief jersey freeway but becomes boulevard before passing by I-440/I-40 (Raleigh Beltline) near Garner. Before reaching Garner, US 70 has a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) with US 401.

East of Garner, US 70 has its own identity and character: the main drag to the crystal coast (Morehead City and Atlantic Beach). Although it is a high-speed highway for much of the distance, there are some exceptions where US 70 is a slower-moving boulevard through parts of Clayton, Kinston and Morehead City. There is also a freeway segment, from Dover (east of Kinston) to New Bern, which is a straight-away with a 70 mph speed limit. From New Bern to the crystal coast, it is an expressway until reaching Havelock, and then an arterial to Moorehead City.

After passing through Moorehead City as a boulevard, US 70 continues further east as a 2 lane highway towards NC 12. After passing NC 12 for several miles, US 70 terminates in the tiny town of Atlantic, a quarter of a mile away from the ferry to the Outer Banks.

Junction Log:

History and Construction Schedule:

Sources:
Adam Prince, Gribblenation, State-Ends, Jimmy Storey, Matt Steffora.

Last Updated: 11/21/05

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