| The Roads: |
|
The only active US 70-A was born about 1954 and is the 15th US 70-A. It originally began at US 70 (now US 70 bus) Smithfield and followed US 301 to nearly Selma, then headed east through Pine Level to end at the newly relocated US 70 at Princeton. This was a replacement for mainline US 70.
In August 1971 (NCDOT), US 70-A was rerouted at Selma to extend west as new construction 2 miles, then replacing SR 1900 out to US 70 (now US 70 Business) at Wilson Mills. US 70-A from Selma to Smithfield remained part of US 301.
About 1991, US 70-A west was truncated to its current routing, as US 70 was rerouted to use the Wilson Mills-Selma routing. This was in conjunction with a new Wilson Mills bypass. US 70-A had used SR 2571 Wilsons Mill EXT; SR 1913 Wilson Mills Rd; also SR 2566 Sadisco Rd at its west end.
In 2025, US 70-A was rerouted at its west end to cut south to US 70 sooner. This left behind mostly abandoned routing.
US 70-A was set to become part of NC 39 but this was met with local opposition and dropped. However, there was still a NC 39 JCT shield at the west end of US 70-A on March 5, 2011.
US 70 through Selma
1953 Official
|
US 70 leaves US 301
1954 Official
|
US 70-A extended to Wilson Mills
1972 Official
|
US 70-A truncated to current end
1992-93 Official
|
Now a chronological look at decommissioned US 70-A routes:
The 1st US 70-A appeared in late 1934 as a renumbering of NC 10-A, running from US 70 in downtown Durham (Chapel Hill St at Main) to US 70 (now Angier Ave at Miami Blvd) Bethesda.
east out today's US 70 Business, then down today's 70 before ending at then-US 70 in Bethesda (Miami Blvd jct with Angier Ave).
In 1937, US 70-A was extended southeast to Raleigh replacing the NC 9 corridor (a modern alignment was opened around the same time). This new modern route to Raleigh met Miami Blvd 0.25 mile north of US 70. Maps continued to show Miami Blvd between US 70 Angier and US 70-A New Raleigh Hwy as primary but never label it, except the 1944 Durham County map shows it as US 70/70-A.
In 1948, US 70-A and US 70 swapped alignments. Today, this old US 70-A is US 70 Business in downtown Durham; N. Miami Bldv below NC 98; US 70 into Raleigh but followed Glenwood/Peace/Person St/Edenton St/East St to Lenoir St.
NC 9 Raleigh to Durham
1937 Rand McN
|
US 70-A Raleigh to Durham
1939 Official
|
US 70 swaps with US 70-A
1948-49 Official
|
The 2nd US 70-A appeared in late 1934 as a renumbering of NC 10-A, running around the north side of High Point.
Between 1945-49, US 70-A swapped routes with US 70. Today it is still some US 70, plus Lexington Rd and Greensboro Rd back to mainline US 29-70 which came in on Montlieu.
See scans under US 70-A #8.
The 3rd (presumed) US 70-A appeared between 1937-38 running along Meeting St in Morganton. Shown but not labeled on Burke County maps from 1938-49
Between 1950-53, US 70-A was decommissioned and later became part of US 70 Bus EB (now just Meeting St).
|
a presumed US 70-A through Morganton
1938 Burke County
|
The 4th US 70-A was born in 1937 or 1938 as new primary routing, running from US 70-601 north of Salisbury to US 29-70 northeast of downtown. It is shown but not labeled on the 1938 Rowan County map.
Between 1954-57, US 70-A was renumbered as part of mainline US 70. Today this is Mahaley Ave/Confederate Ave./Club House Dr/11th St down to US 29-70.
US 70-A through Eastern Salisbury
1944 Rowan County
|
US 70 replaces US 70-A
1957 Rowan County
|
The 5th US 70-A was born in 1938 as new primary routing, running on Fairground Ave from US 29-70 Spring Garden St up to Market, then east with US 421 on Market to Aycock where US 29-70 came in.
Between 1945-49, US 70-A was extended south replacing a bit of US 29-70 to Lee St which is where US 29-70 began running.
Between 1950-53, US 70-A was truncated back to Spring Garden, replaced by the SB routing of US 29.
US 70-A was decommissioned in 1957 when US 29-70 was moved to its original freeway routings around Greensboro.
US 29-A in Greensboro
1944 Guilford County
|
US 29-A extended south
1949 Guilford County
|
US 29-A truncated to Spring Garden
1953 Guilford County
|
The 6th US 70-A was created in 1942 as a new bypass around the north of Hillsborough.
In 1948, US 70-A was renumbered as mainline US 70. See scans under US 70 #10.
The 7th US 70-A was created about 1946 as a new bypass of Hickory and Conover.
US 70-A was renumbered as US 64-70 in 1948. See scans under US 70-A #11.
The 8th US 70-A was born about 1948 as a replacement for mainline US 29-70 in High Point. It began at US 29-70 (now US 70/NC 68) and used English Rd, then used Main St and Montlieu out to Greensboro Rd which was then US 29-70.
About 1957, US 70-A was dropped from the route through central High Point. The route remained US 29-A for many years but is now unnumbered.
US 70-A #2 around High Point
1936 Guilford county
|
US 70-A #8 through High Point
1949 Guilford county
|
US 70-A removed from central High Point
US 70-A #14 is shown here
1957 Guilford County
|
The 9th US 70-A was born about 1948 as a swap with US 70 from Durham to Raleigh. See scans under US 70-A #1
US 70-A began at Roxboro Rd (then-US 70/NC 55) and used Main St/Alston/Angier Ave out of Durham. At Bethesda, US 70-A cut south to Chapel Hill and Cary. In Raleigh, US 70-A used Western Blvd/Boylan Ave/South St/Fayetteville St/Lenoir St to end at East St (then-US 70).
Between 1950-53, US 70-A then split into one-way alignments in Raleigh at Saunders St: EB used South St east to East St. WB used Lenoir St to Saunders St south to W South St.
US 70 swaps with US 70-A
1949 Wake County
|
US 70-A on one-way splits
1953 Wake County
|
About 1952, US 70-A west was rerouted at Bethesda to use Miami Blvd to US 70, then duplex with US 70, then replace US 70 along Holloway west into Durham, then used Roxboro/Pettigrew/Chapel Hill St/Duke St/Main/9th/Hillsborough Rd. US 70-A also continued on Bennett Memorial Drive before finally terminating at US 70. Angier St into Durham became unnumbered.
US 70 rerouted in downtown Durham, 1948-52
1949 Durham County
|
US 70 bypasses Durham
1953 Durham County
|
US 70-A on Bennett Memorial Dr
1957 Durham County
Around 1956, US 70-A east was truncated to the east end of the new Durham Bypass freeway (current I-885/US 70 interchange with Carr Rd). This left behind US 70, NC 54 and US 64. Today this is US 70 to Bethesda; SR 1959 Miami Blvd to Clegg; NC 54 to Cary loop; Chapel Hill Rd through Cary; NC 54; Western Blvd into southern Raleigh
US 70-A Durham to Raleigh
1953 Official
|
NC 54 Nelson to Raleigh
1963 Official
|
About 1958, US 70-A west was truncated to US 70, leaving behind SR 1313 Bennett Memorial Drive
In 1960, US 70-A became US 70 Business which it remains today except it used N Miami Blvd south of NC 98 and US 70 Business uses a simpler routing downtown.
US 70-A in Durham only
1958 Official
|
US 70-A becomes US 70 Business
1960 Official
|
The 10th US 70-A was born about 1948 in a swap with US 70 to go through Hillsborough.
In 1960, US 70-A became US 70 Business which it remains today except US 70-A used Exchange Park Ln to cross the Eno River.
US 70-A #6 around Hillsborough
1944 Orange County
|
US 70-A #10 through Hillsborough
1949 Orange County
|
US 70 Business through Hillsborough
1962 Orange County
|
The 11th US 70-A was born about 1948 in a swap with US 70 to go through Hickory.
In 1956 or 1957, US 70-A was decommissioned to secondary status.
US 70-A #7 bypasses Hickory
1947 Gen Draft
|
US 70-A #11 through Hickory
1952 Shell
|
US 70-A decommissioned
1958 Official
|
The 12th US 70-A was born as new primary routing between 1945-49, running on 2nd and Hancock Sts in Smithfield.
By 1953, US 70-A returned to secondary status.
Smithfield in 1944
1944 Johnston County
|
Smithfield in 1949
1949 Johnston County
|
Smithfield in 1953
1953 Johnston County
|
The 13th US 70-A was born about 1952 as a renumbering of mainline US 70 through Lexington.
In 1960, US 70-A became US 70 Business. Today some of this is part of NC 8.
US 70 through Lexington/Thomasville
1947 Gen Draft
|
US 70-A through both
1952 Shell
|
US 70 Business through Lexington
1962 Davidson County
|
The 14th US 70-A was born about 1952 as a renumbering of mainline US 70 through Thomasville.
About 1957, US 70-A east was extended to replace US 70 through the north of High Point, Jamestown, Greensboro, and Burlington before ending at US 70's new routing just west of Efland. In Greensboro, the route used high Point Rd, then split: EB used Lee St to Aycock while WB used Aycock, Spring Garden and Fairground to high Point Rd. US 70-A followed Aycock to Market east out of town.
In 1960, US 70-A west was truncated to the east end of the Thomasville Bypass, replaced by US 70 Business (now unnumbered).
In 1962, US 70-A's split routing south of Market St was removed, with 70-A now following the previous EB routing through that part of town.
About 1963, US 70-A east was truncated to US 70 O. Henry Blvd in Greensboro. Greensboro to Efland returned to being part of US 70.
In 1966, US 70-A was placed on new splits north of Lee St: EB used Spring Garden to Aycock to Market. WB used Friendly to a ramp to Market to Chapman south to Spring Garden.
US 70-A (1957-61)
1960 Official
|
US 70-A (1962-65)
1964 Official
|
US 70-A (1966-68)
1966 Official
|
In 1967 or 1968, US 70-A was placed on two-way routing using Lee then Aycock to the split routes at Market St.
In 1970, US 70-A was rerouted to use Lee St (NC 6) all the way over to Murrow Blvd north to Summit Av. Friendly Av/Market St remained part of US 421 and the rest became unnumbered.
US 70-A removed from Chapman
1968 Official
|
US 70-A moved to Lee St
1971 Official
|
Between 1991-93, US 70-A was decommissioned to unnumbered routes except some of English St in High point is NC 68 and Lee St in Greensboro remained NC 6 (now also decommissioned).
The 16th US 70-A was born in 1956 or 1957 as a renumbering of mainline US 70 through Goldsboro.
In 1960, US 70-A became US 70 Business.
US 70 through Goldsboro
1955 Official
|
US 70-A through Goldsboro
1957 Wayne County
|
US 70 Business through Goldsboro
1962 Wayne County
|
The 17th US 70-A was born in 1956 or 1957 as a renumbering of mainline US 70 through Kinston.
In 1960, US 70-A became US 70 Business.
US 70 through Kinston
1955 Official
|
US 70-A through Kinston
1957 Lenoir County
|
US 70 Business through Kinston
1962 Lenoir County
|
The 18th US 70-A was born about 1963 as a renumbering of mainline US 70 between I-85 and Efland.
Between 1969-72, US 70-A became "CONNECTOR" (US 70 Connector or I-85 Connector?). Today the I-85 interchange has been reconfigured and the connecting road is now assigned as SR 1239.
US 70 using connector between I-85 and Efland
1962 Orange County
|
US 70-A using connector between I-85 and Efland
1968 Orange County
|
just CONNECTOR
1972 Orange County
|
