The Highways of North Carolina
U.S. 301 
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Photo: US 301 getting ready to cross the Cape Fear River. This sine salad was one of my favorite things to see on road trips to my Grandmother's house in the 1970s. (Michael Summa)
US 301
U.S. 301  193 miles
The Road: Begins at the South Carolina below Rowland (Robeson County) and ends at the North Carolina line at Pleasant Hill (Northampton County).
Towns and Attractions: Robeson Co.: Rowland, Lumberton, St. Pauls  
Cumberland Co.: Hope Mills, Fayetteville 
Harnett Co.: Dunn  
Johnston Co.: Benson, Four Oaks, Smithfield, Selma, Kenly  
Wilson Co.: Lucama, Wilson, Elm City  
Nash Co.: Sharpsburg, Rocky Mount, Whitakers  
Halifax Co.: Enfield, Halifax, Weldon  
Northampton Co.: Garysburg  
History: US 301 appeared in 1932 as a renumbering of US 217 from South Carolina to below Wilson and US 17-1 from Wilson to Virginia. NC 22 was assigned to US 301 below Wilson and NC 40 above it.

1928 Gen Drafting
1928 Gen Drafting
US 217 Wilson to SC
1934 Rand McN
US 301 replaces US 217
1934 Rand McN

In late 1934, NC 22 and NC 40 were dropped from US 301.
In 1937 or 1938, US 301 was given its bypass of Halifax, leaving behind NC 113 (now US 301 Business).

1936 Halifax County
US 301 through Halifax
1936 Halifax County
1944 Halifax County
NC 113 through Halifax
1944 Halifax County

Also in 1937 or 1938, US 301 was rerouted in Elm City. Originally it used SR 1437 Brach St to SR 1003 Main St back to Parker St.
Between 1945-49, US 301 was given one-way alignments on its US 421 duplex in Dunn: NB used the original routing of Broad St while SB used Cumberland St.
Between 1945-49, US 301 was removed from 3rd St/Market St in Smithfield and instead replaced US 301-A on Brightleaf Blvd. Market St remains part of US 70 Business.

1944 Johnston County
Smithfield in 1944
1944 Johnston County
1949 Johnston County
Smithfield in 1949
1949 Johnston County

About 1948, US 301 was placed on its original Wilson bypass in a route swap with US 301-A. The route through Wilson had used Goldsboro Rd and Herring Ave.
Between 1950-53, US 301 was removed from Dixie Inn Rd/US 117 and Forest Hill Loop south of Wilson.

1949 Wilson County
US 117-301 original junction
1949 Wilson County
1953 Wilson County
US 301 rerouted
1953 Wilson County

About 1953, US 301 was given a bypass east around Fayetteville using today's 4-lane Eastern Blvd. between Gillespie and Clinton Rd. The old route through Fayetteville using Gillespie St and Person Rd became US 301-A (largely unnumbered today).
Also about 1953, US 301 was given its current routing avoiding downtown Weldon, leaving behind a brief US 301-A. Today it is SR 1651 Washington Ave, Second St and SR 1684 Sycamore St.

1949 Halifax County
US 301 using Washington Ave
1949 Halifax County
1953 Halifax County
US 301 bypasses Weldon
1953 Halifax County

About 1954, US 301 received a bypass of Lumberton utilizing today's I-95 corridor. The old route through Lumberton became US 301-A except: 5th St, Elm St, Elizabethtown St out to Pine St became secondary.

1953 Robeson County
US 301 through Lumberton
1953 Robeson County
1957 Robeson County
US 301 bypasses Lumberton
1957 Robeson County

In 1955, US 301 was rerouted at Fayetteville to stay on Eastern Blvd across the Cape Fear River to meet back up with Dunn Rd.

1949 Cumberland County
US 301 through Fayetteville
1949 Cumberland County
1953 Cumberland County
US 301 bypasses Fayetteville
1953 Cumberland County
1958 Official
US 301 crosses river by itself
1958 Official

In 1956 or 1957, US 301 was put on its current Wilson bypass over a road that had been in place a while. The original bypass cut north on Stantonsburg St and Pender St to meet US 301-A at Herring Ave. Some of the Pender St part remained US 264-A and NC 58 (all secondary today). Additionally, US 301 was removed from Old Sharpsburg Loop.

1944 Wilson County
US 301 through Wilson
1944 Wilson County
1949 Wilson County
US 301 bypasses Wilson
1949 Wilson County
1957 Wilson County
US 301 bypasses more of Wilson
1957 Wilson County

In 1956, US 301 received its bypass of Rocky Mount leaving behind US 301-A (now US 301 Business).

1955 Official
US 301 through Rocky Mount
1955 Official
1956 Rand Mcnally
US 301 bypasses Rocky Mount
1956 Rand McN

About 1957, US 301 was given its bypass of Elm City. It appears this did not become US 301-A although it did become US 301 Business in 1960. Today it is just Elm City Rd.

1936 Wilson County
US 301 zig-zag through Elm City
1936 Wilson County
1944 Wilson County
US 301 direct through Elm City
1944 Wilson County
1962 Wilson County
US 301 bypasses Elm City
1962 Wilson County

Between 1958-62, US 301 was placed on its freeway routing in the Eastover area leaving behind SR 1838.
In Dec 1969 (NCDOT), US 301 was rerouted in Dunn to run past US 421 over SR 1797 and use SR 1859 Granville St to cut over to Ellis Ave. The old route remained part of US 421/NC 55 as well as SR 1871.

1944 Harnett County
US 301 original Dunn route
1944 Harnett County
1949 Harnett County
US 301 onto one-way splits
1949 Harnett County
1972 Harnett County
US 301 moves its zig-zag
1972 Harnett County

In 1983 or 1984, US 301 was moved onto I-95 at Exit 10 near Raynham, leaving behind Hilly Branch Rd.

1980-81 Official
US 301 joins I-95 at US 74
1980-81 Official
1984-85 Official
US 301 joins I-95 at Raynham
1984-85 Official

Comments:
A US 301 TRUCK was shown on Cumberland County maps from at least 1949-68 using Russell St from Gillespie to Eastern then north to Person. Eastern became mainline 301 but the Russell St part was 301 Truck until at least 1968. The 1972 Cumberland County map shows it as SR 2299.
US 301 is pretty much the step-child to I-95, with only Kenly to Battleboro really suitable for through travel. The other sections don't get much traffic, but the route is slow as it passes through many towns.
US 301 must not have been a preferred line of travel in the earlier days, as there were no real improvements to the route until the 1950's.
A ggod example of early NC interstate configurations still exist on US 301 between the Cape Fear River and Eastover. I believe in the 1970's this part was actually signed as I-95. Additionally, in the Hope Mills area the same configurations may still exist.
US 301 is blown off by I-40 in Benson. Use NC 242, if you please.
Until the late 1970's-early 1980's, Exits 22,25, and 31 on I-95 all had no references to US 301 on the BGS's. Going NB, it was "Local Traffic", "Local Traffic" and "TO NC 71 Parkton"; SB was "St Pauls", "Local Traffic", and "Lumberton" There were 301 shields at the top of the ramps, though.
I believe US 301 is the only US route to pass through an area code of the same number, as US 301 passes through the 301 Area Code in Maryland.
1949 Cumberland County
US 301 TRUCK in Fayetteville
1949 Cumberland County


Last Update: 18 February 2013

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