Existed: 1934 – present Length 46 km | East end: NC 87 near Tar Heel Constructed 1934 | |
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West end: US 401 Bus. / NC 211 in Raeford Counties Hoke County, North Carolina, Robeson County, North Carolina, Bladen County, North Carolina | ||
North Carolina Highway 20 (NC 20) is a 27-mile (43 km) North Carolina state highway that runs through Hoke, Robeson and Bladen counties. It serves as a major road in each of the three incorporated communities through which it passes. The route is co-designated as St. Pauls Road in Raeford, Main Street in Lumber Bridge, and Broad Street in St. Pauls.
Contents
Map of NC-20, North Carolina, USA
Route description
NC 20 begins at its eastern terminus at NC 87 in northwest Bladen County near Tar Heel and the Cape Fear River. From there, the route travels in a westerly direction into Robeson County and through the heart of St. Pauls. After crossing Fifth Street / U.S. Route 301 (US 301), NC 20 continues to an interchange with Interstate 95's (I-95) exit 31 at the western edge of town.
After the interchange, NC 20 darts northwest through the town of Lumber Bridge, where it crosses NC 71 (Fayetteville Street). Crossing over the county line into Hoke County, NC 20 heads northwest to meet with Central Avenue, U.S. Route 401 Business (US 401 Bus.) in downtown Raeford. There, NC 20 joins Business US 401 for approximately 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to end at NC 211 (Main Street).
History
The original NC 20 was at one time the longest numbered route in North Carolina, running from the Tennessee border to the port city of Wilmington, a distance of 401 miles (645 km). After the introduction of U.S. highways in North Carolina in 1934, the route was carved up between routes US 19, US 70, US 74, US 76, and US 17.
The modern NC 20 was originally NC 220. Despite a few minor reroutings, the state highway has remained largely unchanged since the 1930s. The NC 220 designation was dropped permanently from the state highway system around 1935 after the introduction of US 220 into North Carolina. With the possible extension of I-20 into North Carolina, this route may be renumbered again.