U.S. 17

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The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge carries U.S. 17-76-421 across the Cape Fear River from Eagle Island in Brunswick County to Wilmington in New Hanover County.

U.S. 17 runs along coastal areas of eastern North Carolina between Shallotte and Elizabeth City. Traveling 284 miles across the state, U.S. 17 connects popular beach communities such as Topsail Beach and Surf City, Wilmington and its state port, and military bases at both Jacksonville and New Bern. North from Williamston, U.S. 17 is a part of the Interstate 87 corridor established between Raliegh and Hampton Roads, Virginia. The four-lane highway connects a number of small cities off Albemarle Sound including Edenton, Hertford and Winfall. Freeway bypasses that will be incorporated into I-87 take U.S. 17 around Windsor and Elizabeth City.

U.S. 17 North Carolina Guides

Business Routes

U.S. 17 through the Wilmington area was realigned in 2006 following completion of the Dan Cameron Bridge (I-140) across the Northeast Cape Fear River. The highway shifted north to bypass the city alongside a combination of U.S. 74, U.S. 421 and Interstate 140 east. The in-city route was redesignated as an extension of U.S. 17 Business east from Downtown and west across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge onto Eagle Island. This changed with AASHTO approval on May 15, 2015. U.S. 17 was subsequently relocated from the Wilmington Bypass (I-140/NC 140) back onto portions of its previous route, with the exception that it overlaps with U.S. 76 along Oleander Road to Military Cutoff. Sign changes had yet to be implemented following the December 19, 2017 completion of I-140 around Wilmington.

U.S. 17 was relocated onto a freeway bypassing Belgrade in Onslow County and Maysville and Pollocksville in southern Jones County. The freeway was completed north from NC 58 to U.S. 17 Business near the Craven County line on November 14, 2019. The former route to the east was redesignated as U.S. 17 Business. Construction on the 16.3 mile U.S. 17 Bypass of Maysville and Pollocksville started in October 2015. It was scheduled to open in June 2020, but accelerated as a transportation priority for the region.1

AASHTO approved the 3.69 mile realignment of U.S. 17 around Maysville and the 7.74 mile realignment around Pollocksville on October 5, 2019. The U.S. 17 Bypass freeway west of River Bend to U.S. 70/Future I-42 in New Bern was completed in 2010. With AASHTO approval on May 5, 2011, U.S. 17 was relocated 10.1 miles, including an extended overlap with U.S. 70 west from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in New Bern. U.S. 17 Business was recognized along 6.7 miles of the former route by AASHTO as well.

U.S. 17 Business South - Edenton
U.S. 17 Business leads east from U.S. 17 (Ocean Highway) along W Queen Street into the town of Edenton. The business loop runs 6.71 miles between Exit 226 and 230. 12/14/17

Sources:
  1. "U.S. 17 Bypass Opens to Traffic Several Months Ahead of Schedule." North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), press release. November 14, 2019.


Photo Credits:

12/14/17 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 140
U.S. 13
U.S. 64
U.S. 70
U.S. 74
U.S. 76
U.S. 421

Page Updated 08-05-2020.

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