NCRoads.com: N.C. 59

N.C. 59
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Photo: NC 59 ending at I-95 (Adam Prince)

N.C. 59 7 miles

The Road:

Begins at I-95 near Hope Mills and ends at US 401 Business Owens, all within Cumberland County.

Towns and Attractions:

Cumberland Co.: Hope Mills, Fayetteville

History:

NC 59 was born in 1958. Initially it ran from US 401 west of Owens around the north side of Fayetteville and ended at US 401 Ramsey St north of Fayetteville. IT appears this was an upgrade to an unnumbered route.
In 1963, NC 59 was extended south through Hope Mills and ended at US 301. This was an upgrade to SRs 1141, 1118, and 1124.
In 1967 or 1968, NC 59 north was truncated to its current endpoint. The original NC 59 segment bcame US 401 Bypass.
In 1982, when I-95 was opened around Fayetteville, NC 59 was extended to it.

1958 Official
NC 59 original routing 1963 Official
NC 59 extended to US 301 1968 Official
NC 59 replaced by US 401 Bypass 1979-80 Official
NC 59 ending at US 301

1982-83 Official
NC 59 extended to I-95

The first NC 59 was born in 1932 as mostly new primary routing. It ran from at least US 1/NC 50 (today's Old Wake Forest Rd) and followed Capitol Blvd north out of Raleigh and followed today's US 401 corridor to Louisburg before ending at US 158/NC 48 Warrenton. The 1932 and 1937 Texaco insets of Raleigh does show NC 59 running with US 1/NC 50 down to US 64/NC 90 Edenton St. HOwever, Conoco insets 1934-39 do not show this. NOrth of Louisburg NC 59 followed a few miles of the previously christened NC 501.
Between 1937-44, NC 59 was straightend out to avoid Wake Cross Roads. Up to this point, NC 59 used Mitchell Mill Rd and Louisbury Rd through there.
About 1946, US 1-A was assigned to NC 59 from Wake Forest Rd northeast to the current US 1-401 split. US 1-A was redesignated as mainline US 1 in 1948. However, NC 59 continued to be assigned to Capitol Blvd (called Louisburg Rd then).
Between 1947-49, a bypass was built east of Louisburg. NC 39-59 was placed on it. It appears the Main St route through town has been secondary ever since.

1944 Franklin County
NC 39-59 through Louisburg 1949 Franklin County
NC 39-59 bypasses Louisburg

In 1957, NC 59 was renumbered in its entirety by US 401.

1932 Texaco
NC 59 #1 (1932-57)
US 401 replaces NC 59

Comments:

NC 59 today is thoroughly urban in nature - traffic is bad enough through Hope Mills that NC 162 is being built to help relieve the burdens on NC 59.

Last Update: 15 May 2008

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