US 401 in North Carolina
| US 401 | |||
| Get started | Laurinburg | ||
| End | Norlina | ||
| Length | 168 mi | ||
| Length | 270 km | ||
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According to Beautyphoon, US 401 is a US Highway in the US state of North Carolina. The road forms a north-south route through the east of the state, more or less parallel to Interstate 95 and US 301. The road serves the towns of Fayetteville and Raleigh as a secondary main route. The road is 270 kilometers long.
Travel directions
US 401 at Raeford.
Near the town of Laurinburg, US 401 in South Carolina joins US 15 from Sumter into the state and then runs to Laurinburg. Laurinburg is a relatively important interchange, with US 15 turning to Durham, joining US 501 from Marion and crossing US 74, the highway from Charlotteto Wilmington. US 401 then continues as a secondary 1×2 lane highway to Fayetteville only. From Silver City, at Fort Bragg, US 401 becomes a 2×2 trunk road. This area is a mix of small forests and meadows. Reaching the fast-growing town of Fayetteville from the west, the road then curves north, but does not intersect other US Highways or Interstates. Fayetteville is nevertheless a large city with 172,000 inhabitants.
US 401 then continues north as a 2×1 highway and continues inland to Raleigh. After about 50 kilometers you cross the US 421 at Lillington. This area has more forest, and from Fuquay-Varina US 401 has 2×2 lanes. This is already the far suburban area of fast-growing Raleigh. The residential areas are scattered in the woods and closer to Raleigh the area is more densely built. US 70 from Goldsboro then merges and both roads lead to downtown Raleigh. The double numbering counts 2×3 level lanes. On the south side of downtown, one crosses Interstate 40, the highway out of Greensboroto Wilmington. In downtown, US 70 and US 401 split into two one-way blocks. North of downtown there are 2×3 lanes again and US 70 exits to Durham. US 401 then continues as a 2×3 trunk road through the northeast of the city, first crossing Interstate 440, Raleigh’s inner ring road. From I-440, US 1 also merges and both roads have 2×4 lanes at ground level. A little further on, the two roads split and then run parallel to the north.
In the suburban area of Raleigh, one crosses Interstate 540, Raleigh’s large ring road. The US 401 still has 2×3 lanes, but quickly narrows to 2×1 lanes when you leave the urban area. US 401 then follows a secondary route north. The road follows a route of about 50 miles through fairly densely wooded area to Warrenton. Shortly thereafter, US 401 terminates at an intersection with US 1 and US 158, not far from the Virginia border.
History
US 401 was added to the network in April 1927, but this route was entirely in Virginia, near the border with North Carolina. In 1933-1934, the number was also briefly used for a north-south route between Walterboro, South Carolina and Raleigh, North Carolina, before being renumbered as US 15.
The route of the current US 401 was originally numbered as the US 15 alternate. In 1957, US 15A was renumbered with the introduction of US 401. The northern terminus is US 1 in Norlina.
The first upgrades to US 401 were made in the 1960s, mainly doubling short sections of approach roads from major cities such as Fayetteville and Raleigh. In 1967, a Fayetteville diversion also opened along the north side of town. Number US 401 was routed on Raleigh’s East Beltway between 1984 and 1991, before being renumbered as I-440. Since then, US 401 has continued through downtown Raleigh.
On July 16, 2015, Rolesville’s 10-mile bypass opened just north of Raleigh. This is a level 2×2 divided highway with superstreet intersections.
US 441 in North Carolina
| US 441 | |||
| Get started | Norton | ||
| End | Great Smoky Mountains | ||
| Length | 62 mi | ||
| Length | 100 km | ||
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US 441 is a US Highway in the US state of North Carolina. The highway forms a north-south route in the far west of the state and, like many highways in that region, is double -numbered with several other U.S. Highways. The road is 100 kilometers long and leads through mountainous areas.
Travel directions
Near Norton, US 441 in Georgia joins US 23 from Athens into the state of North Carolina in the mountainous west of the state. The road has 2×2 lanes from the border and runs through a wide valley to the north, through the Nantahala National Forest. In Franklin, you cross US 64, which runs from Murphy to Hendersonville. US 23 and US 441 then continue to the northeast, reaching an elevation of nearly 1,000 feet above sea level. In the village of Dillsboro, US 23 turns east and runs on US 74 from Murphy to Asheville. US 441 then follows US 74 for a while to the west and then turns north. Shortly afterwards you cross the US 19which runs to Asheville. Then begins a very mountainous route through a densely forested area over the main ridge of the Smoky Mountains. The road rises here to about 1,550 meters on the border with Tennessee. US 441 in Tennessee then continues to Knoxville.
History
US 441 was one of the original US Highways of 1926, but at the time it only ran in Florida. The northern terminus was extended northward in several phases between 1935 and 1952 and was located in North Carolina from 1952. Due to the road structure and large concentration of US Highways in the Appalachian Mountains, US 441 is largely double-numbered with other US Highways.
The road over the 1,539 meter high Newfound Gap on the border with Tennessee was completed in 1932. This replaced the older route across Indian Gap that was developed from the 19th century. The Newfound Gap road is sometimes temporarily closed during heavy snowfall, especially on the Tennessee side.
The Franklin diversion opened in 1974 and in the 1970s the section between Sylva and Whittier was also widened to 2×2 lanes. During the 1980s, US 441 between Franklin and Sylva was widened to 2×2 lanes. In the 1980s, the section between Whittier and Cherokee was also widened to a 5-lane road with a center turn lane. In the mid-1990s, the section between the Georgia and Franklin border was widened to 2×2 lanes.
