Existed: 1921 – present Constructed 1921 | Length 449.6 km | |
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Touristroutes: Pee Dee Valley Drive Sandhills Scenic Drive Counties | ||
North Carolina Highway 24 (NC 24) is the longest primary state highway in the state of North Carolina. Traveling east–west between the Charlotte metropolitan area and the Crystal Coast, connecting the cities of Charlotte, Fayetteville, Jacksonville and Morehead City.
Contents
- Map of NC 24 North Carolina USA
- Route description
- History
- Termini
- North Carolina Highway 243
- North Carolina Highway 605
- WarsawKenansville business loop
- Jacksonville business loop
- References
Map of NC-24, North Carolina, USA
Route description
NC 24 is both one of the longest and most concurrent routes in the state. Besides the approximately 100-mile (160 km) concurrency with NC 27 between Johnsonville and Charlotte, this route also shares long stretches of pavement with:
All told, about half of the total length of NC 24 runs concurrent with other routes.
As a route, it is designated as a "High Priority Corridor" for North Carolina, and much of it is highly traveled, providing the most direct access between Charlotte, Fayetteville and Jacksonville. It passes near or through three major Military installations (Fort Bragg, Pope Army Airfield, and Camp Lejeune), as well as Morrow Mountain State Park, Lake Tillery and the Uwharrie National Forest. Most of the route east of I-40 is at least four lanes, with sections at or near freeway grade.
Along its eastern portions, NC 24 is known as Lejeune Boulevard thru Jacksonville, Freedom Way from the Camp Lejeune Main Gate to Swansboro, Corbett Avenue through Swansboro, Cedar Point Boulevard through Cedar Point, the W. B. McLean Highway through much of central Carteret County from JCT NC 58 to its terminus in Mansfield at US 70.
History
Termini
In March 2003, The state DOT rerouted the west end of NC 24 from US 74 to Interstate 77 (Exit 18). This was facilitated by following Harris Boulevard in east Charlotte instead of following NC 27. This added nearly 15 miles (24 km) onto the highway's length. On December 8, 2008, Interstate 485 opened in Northwest Mecklenburg County; at that same time NC 24 was extended again by 1 mile (1.6 km) to the new freeway (Exit 21) along West WT Harris Boulevard.
Before this rerouting, NC 24 was extraneous west of Johnsonville. It was concurrent with NC 27 over its entire length to its terminus at U.S. 74, at which point NC 27 continued while NC 24 did not.
NC 24's eastern terminus is at US 70 in Morehead City. This eastern segment leading to the terminus provides access to communities on the mainland side of the Bogue Sound.
North Carolina Highway 243
North Carolina Highway 243 (NC 243) appeared in 1931 as a renumbering of NC 24 from Hubert to Swansboro; which NC 24 went northeast to Stella then east towards Morehead City. In 1934, NC 243 was reverted to NC 24 when the White River bridge was completed in Swansboro.
North Carolina Highway 605
North Carolina Highway 605 (NC 605) was established in 1932 as a new primary route between US 1/US 15/NC 50/NC 75, in Tramway, and US 421/NC 60, in Jonesboro. In 1936, NC 24 was extended northwest from Fayetteville to Tramway, replacing NC 605.
Warsaw–Kenansville business loop
North Carolina Highway 24 Business (NC 24 Bus) was established in March, 1999 when mainline NC 24 was rerouted overlapping I-40 and NC 903 (Kenansville Bypass); the old alignment through downtown Warsaw and Kenansville was redesignated as a business loop.
Jacksonville business loop
North Carolina Highway 24 Business (NC 24 Bus) was established in January 2008 when mainline NC 24 was placed on new bypass south of Jacksonville. The business loop follows the old alignment through downtown Jacksonville, via Richlands Highway (in concurrency with US 258), Marine Boulevard (in concurrency with US 17 Business), Johnson Boulevard and Lejeune Boulevard.