U.S. Route 64 (USÂ 64) is the longest numbered route in the U.S. state of North Carolina, running 604 miles (972Â km) from the Tennessee state line to the Outer Banks. The route passes through the westernmost municipality in the state, Murphy, and one of the most easternmost municipalities, Manteo, making USÂ 64 a symbolic representation of the phrase "from Murphy to Manteo" which is used to refer to the expanse of the state. The highway is a major east-west route through the central and eastern portion of the state.
Route description
US 64 enters North Carolina in Cherokee County, west of Murphy. The highway serves the cities of Hendersonville, Brevard, Rutherfordton, Morganton, Lenoir, Statesville, Lexington, Asheboro, Siler City, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Williamston, and Manteo.
The segment from Franklin to Highlands is a mountainous two-lane road limited to moderate-sized trucks. Large trucks are routed via Truck US 64 (US 23/441 and US 74) to Sylva, and Asheville.
The route passes through Hendersonville, Chimney Rock State Park, and Forest City before turning in a more northerly direction towards Morganton, where it crosses I-40 for the first time. The route makes a wide, northerly loop past the Hickory area, and crosses I-40 again in Statesville. After crossing I-40 again in Mocksville, U.S. 64 makes a southerly bypass of the Piedmont Triad region.
U.S. 64 is the primary east-west route through Randolph County and Chatham County, connecting the cities of Asheboro, Siler City and Pittsboro. In Pittsboro, the route divides, a newer bypass route follows a freeway north of the city while the older Business U.S. 64 goes through the center of the city along city streets, passing the Chatham County Courthouse. After Pittsboro, U.S. 64 crosses Jordan Lake in the community of Wilsonville before entering Wake County. In Wake County, a divided expressway carries U.S. 64 through Apex and Cary, with a mixture of grade-separated interchanges and at-grade intersections along this segment. In Cary, U.S. 64 joins U.S. 1 forming the heavily traveled U.S. 1-64 freeway which connects Cary and southwestern Wake County to Raleigh, the I-440 Beltline and I-40.
Within the Raleigh city limits USÂ 64 follows I-40. In 2006 a major section known as the Knightdale Bypass opened to ease traffic. After it was completed, USÂ 64 became a continuous freeway as far east as Williamston, going through the communities of Nashville, Rocky Mount, and Tarboro. Closely paralleling this freeway segment, older alignments of USÂ 64, following country roads and city streets, are known variously as Alternate USÂ 64 (usually outside of city limits) and Business U.S. 64 (when inside of incorporated city limits). In Williamston, after forming a concurrency with both USÂ 13 and USÂ 17, it follows an exit ramp to become a four-lane undivided boulevard from Williamston to Plymouth, North Carolina. Between Plymouth and Columbia, North Carolina, the route is once again a freeway. From Columbia to its eastern junction with USÂ 264 it is a two lane undivided highway through the swamps of Tyrell County. The route splits in Manns Harbor, North Carolina as Bypass USÂ 64 uses the newer and wider Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge to cross Croatan Sound, bypassing Manteo to the south. The mainline route follows the older, narrower William B. Umstead Bridge and goes through the community of Manteo before rejoining the bypass route to access a series of bridges and causeways that connect Roanoke Island to Bodie Island on the Outer Banks. USÂ 64 terminates at Whalebone Junction, a location in Nags Head that forms the three-way confluence of USÂ 64, USÂ 158 and NCÂ 12.
USÂ 64 also make up part of Corridor A in the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). Corridor A connects I-285, in Sandy Springs, Georgia, to I-40, near Clyde, North Carolina, it overlaps 35 miles (56Â km) of USÂ 64, between Hayesville and Franklin. ADHS provides additional funds, as authorized by the U.S. Congress, which have enabled USÂ 64 to benefit from the successive improvements along its routing through the corridor. The white-on-blue banner "Appalachian Highway" is used to mark the ADHS corridor.
Between Raleigh and Williamston, USÂ 64 is either already, or scheduled to be, upgraded to interstate status. I-495 is already signed from I-440 to I-540 along the Knightdale Bypass, with "Future I-495" signed along the USÂ 64 to I-95, near Rocky Mount. Including or replacing I-495, and extending towards Williamston and beyond along USÂ 17, the route is scheduled to become part of I-87, which will eventually connect the Research Triangle region with the Hampton Roads region.
USÂ 64 overlaps with four state scenic byways: the Waterfall Byway, between Murphy and Rosman, Black Mountain Rag, centered at Bat Cave, Alligator River Route, between Columbia and Roanoke Island, and Roanoke Voyages Corridor, located on Roanoke Island.
History
USÂ 64 was established in 1932, joining NCÂ 28 from the Tennessee state line to Old Fort, USÂ 70/NCÂ 10 between Old Fort and Statesville, and NCÂ 90 between Statesville and Fort Landing. In late 1934, NCÂ 28, NCÂ 10, and NCÂ 90 were dropped along the route. In 1937 or 1938, USÂ 64 was rerouted east of Brasstown Creek, nearBrasstown; its old alignment along Brasstown Road was downgraded to secondary road. In 1939 or 1940, USÂ 64 was placed on new routing east of Hayesville; its old alignment along Myers Chapel Road was downgraded to secondary road.
Between 1939-1944, USÂ 64/USÂ 70 was removed from Knobs Landing (SRÂ 1620), in Icard; in Statesville, USÂ 64 is rerouted to its current routing, leaving NCÂ 90. In 1941, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass south of Franklinville; its old alignment becoming USÂ 64A. Around 1942, USÂ 64 was placed on new routing east of Hayesville to NCÂ 175; most of the old route was abandoned when Chatuga Lake was formed. Between 1945-1949: USÂ 64 is placed on its modern alignment from the Tennessee state line to Murphy. USÂ 64 was removed from Old Quebec Road (SRÂ 1316), near Lake Toxaway. USÂ 64 was placed on one-way splits in downtown Raleigh. USÂ 64 was rerouted onto Thomas Avenue in Rocky Mount, eliminating USÂ 64A. In Plymouth, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass south of the downtown area. In 1949, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass north of Siler City; its old alignment becoming USÂ 64A.
In 1964, USÂ 64 was removed along I-40 between Conover and Statesville; as a result, USÂ 64 was rerouted along USÂ 70 and replaced USÂ 64 Bus.
In 1971, USÂ 64 was placed on two new bypass routes, south of Hayesville and south of Columbia; both old alignments became USÂ 64 business loops. Same year, USÂ 64 in Hendersonville was rerouted onto one-way streets (sixth and seventh avenues) through the downtown area. In 1974, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass east of Franklin, in concurrency with USÂ 23/USÂ 441; most of its former routing remain part of NCÂ 28. Same year, was placed on new routing east of Pittsboro, its old alignment was abandoned to make way for Jordan Lake. In 1975, USÂ 64 was placed on new freeway bypass north of Eagle Rock to NCÂ 39, south of Pilot; most of the old alignment became part of NCÂ 97 and USÂ 64 Bus., while the section going into Franklin County was downgraded to a secondary road. In 1976, USÂ 64 was placed on new freeway bypass south of Pilot to NCÂ 98/NCÂ 231; ending a brief concurrency with NCÂ 39, the routing to NCÂ 98 was downgraded to a secondary road. In 1979, USÂ 64 was placed on new freeway between NCÂ 98/NCÂ 231 to the Nashville bypass; its old alinment was to become USÂ 64 Business, but was instead approved as USÂ 64 Alternate instead. Also same year, USÂ 64 was placed on new routing between the Clay-Macon county line to Franklin; its old alignment downgraded to a secondary road. In 1979, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass west of Murphy, in concurrency with USÂ 19/USÂ 129; its old alignment through Murphy was partly replaced by USÂ 19 Bus., while Peachtree Street was downgraded to a secondary road. Also same year, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass north of Rosman, with its old alignment to become USÂ 64 Business; however, this was not approved by AASHTO, downgrading the former route to a secondary road.
In 1984, USÂ 64 was rerouted around Raleigh, from going north around, via the beltline, to south around after completion of the southern half of the beltline. Also same year, USÂ 64 was placed on new freeway bypass north of Rocky Mount; its old alignment through downtown became USÂ 64 Bus. In 1988, USÂ 64 was rerouted between Morganton and Statesville, traversing north along NCÂ 18 to Lenoir and NCÂ 90 through Taylorsville; the old route continues on as USÂ 70, though a request was made, but withdrawn, to establish the old alignment as an alternate route.
In 1991, USÂ 64/USÂ 601 were rerouted in Mocksville, downgrading Salisbury Street and Wilkesboro Street to secondary roads. Also in 1991, with the establishment of I-440, USÂ 64 was removed from the beltline around Raleigh and rerouted through the city: eastbound via Western Boulevard, Dorothea Drive, South Street, Person Street and New Bern Avenue; westbound via New Bern Avenue, Edenton Street, Blount Street, Lenoir Street, Cabarrus Street and Western Boulevard. In 1992, USÂ 64/NCÂ 90 were rerouted onto new road towards Garner Bagnal Boulevard, downgrading part of Front Street. In 1993, USÂ 64 was placed on new bypass south of Jamesville; its old alignment becoming USÂ 64 Bus. In 1994, NCDOT reversed its decision of routing USÂ 64 through Raleigh and officially routed it back along the southern half of the beltline; reason given was that despite the ordinance change in 1991, signage for the routing did not change and was preferred. In 1996, USÂ 64 was placed on new 18.33-mile (29.50Â km) super-two between Taylorsville and Statesville; its former alignment remained NCÂ 90. In 1997, USÂ 64 was placed on new 29.84-mile (48.02Â km) freeway between Princeville and Williamston; its former alignment was replaced by USÂ 64 Alt.
In 2003, USÂ 64 was placed on new freeway between Plymouth and Columbia, leaving its concurrency alignment with NCÂ 32 and NCÂ 94. In 2005, USÂ 64 was placed on a freeway bypass north of Pittsboro; its old alignment became USÂ 64 Bus. In 2006, USÂ 64/USÂ 264 was placed on new six-lane freeway bypass south of Knightdale, from I-440 to existing USÂ 64 freeway segment near Eagle Rock; its former routing through Knightdale became an extension of USÂ 64 Bus., with a hidden 1-mile (1.6Â km) concurrency along I-440. Also in same year, NCDOT submitted a request, which was subsequently withdrawn to split-up USÂ 64 through Brevard; instead USÂ 64 Bus. was reestablished along Caldwell Street as a hidden route, signed instead as westbound USÂ 64, eastbound USÂ 64 remains along Broad Street. In 2009, USÂ 64 made an incremental .16-mile (0.26Â km) adjustment in Murphy, next to the Hiwassee River.
In 2010, USÂ 64 was placed on new routing east of Murphy to NCÂ 141; its old alignment was to become a new alternate route, but that request was denied by AASHTO. The old alignment instead was downgraded to a secondary road, with a .7-mile (1.1Â km) section becoming part of NCÂ 141.
Wake County
Originally, USÂ 64 followed Salem Road, north of Apex; near Cary, it followed Chatham Street and Hillsborough Street before meeting NCÂ 54 on Western Boulevard, after which both go into Raleigh via Hillsborough Street. In central Raleigh, USÂ 64 used Salisbury Street, Edenton Street, East Street, and finally New Bern Avenue. The final section followed the current USÂ 64 Business to Wendell and Zebulon. Between 1950-53, USÂ 64 was removed from central Raleigh and followed then USÂ 70A via Western Boulevard (in Cary) east to Boylan Avenue, then northeast to South Street before ending back on New Bern Avenue.
In 1960, USÂ 64 was placed on a (non-freeway) bypass around Wendell; the old route became USÂ 64 Business. A second (freeway) bypass in the Wendell/Lizard Lick area was added in 1975, the first bypass was added on to the western end of NCÂ 97. In 1965, USÂ 64 was given its modern routing from Apex to USÂ 1; after concurrency, USÂ 64 followed USÂ 1 north around Raleigh to New Bern Avenue. In 1984, USÂ 64 was removed from the northern arc of the beltline, migrating south to the completed southern arc.
Future
In Asheboro, a new USÂ 64 Bypass is planned that will go south around the city, with a new connector (an extension of NCÂ 159 Spur) to the North Carolina Zoo. The proposed 13.7-mile (22.0Â km) route was estimated to cost $370 million and scheduled to begin construction in 2014. The NCDOT released an updated map on the project in January 2015 that eliminated the NC 159 interchange. Construction is now scheduled to begin in June 2015 at an estimated cost of more than $348 million. In June 2017, NCDOT confirmed the new bypass will be signed as mainline USÂ 64, with the old alignment becoming a business route.
Junction list
See also
References
External links
- Media related to U.S. Route 64 in North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
