Old or incorrect local highway names

[Mapmikey]

There is an "Old NC 75" that runs from Oxford to Butner via Stem. NC 75 hasn't existed there since around 1930. On top of that, NC 75 was actually replaced by US 15 on that stretch before being turned to a secondary road..

US 15 never used the Old NC 75 rout

There is an "Old NC 75" that runs from Oxford to Butner via Stem. NC 75 hasn't existed there since around 1930. On top of that, NC 75 was actually replaced by US 15 on that stretch before being turned to a secondary road..

Same way, "Old NC 10" runs east of Hillsborough to Durham.  This used to be signed as "Old No. 10" (old number ten) before the road was straightened and had clearances raised about 8 years ago.  It runs roughly parallel to I-85 and unfortunately has become a favorite bypass route for "eastbound" traffic during the frequent shutdowns that occur from wrecks along this narrow section of original Interstate.  But the clearances are still only 12 feet, so I have witnessed a good number of "canopener" incidents at the State University Railroad trestle, which ironically is the old reference name for UNC Chapel Hill.

Similarly, there is a "West Ten Road" that runs from Exit 161 near Efland west to Mebane, and this one is truly parallel to the Interstate (I-85/I-40).  I'm pretty sure that both roads pre-date US-70 which has always been located north of the North Carolina Rail Road.

US 15 never used the Old NC 75 routing - June 1924 Official clearly shows NC 75 moved.

The July 1926 map also confirms NC 10 was north of the railroad continuously from Haw River to Durham.

[Dirt Roads]

The July 1926 map also confirms NC 10 was north of the railroad continuously from Haw River to Durham.

There's also a really old example of an "incorrect road name" here in northern Orange County, North Carolina.  Folks here have called SR-1340 by the name "High Rock Road" for generations, so the road was signed as such when 911 street signs were installed in the late-1990s.  But a county map from 1880 shows "High Rock Road" passing by Harmony Church and ending at Lynch Store, which is consistent with the current route of SR-1341 that is named "Harmony Church Road".

[jaehak]

County Highway 442 just east of Lawrence, Kansas is universally referred to as Old K-10 by locals.

[Avalanchez71]

There is an Old Lebanon Dirt Road outside of Lebanon, TN and it is not a dirt road.
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1954553,-86.5660613,3a,75y,279.27h,78.97t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIUbJXATuIH50h6D-qkDd7w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DIUbJXATuIH50h6D-qkDd7w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D324.85574%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

[fillup420]

There is an "Old NC 75" that runs from Oxford to Butner via Stem. NC 75 hasn't existed there since around 1930. On top of that, NC 75 was actually replaced by US 15 on that stretch before being turned to a secondary road..

Same way, "Old NC 10" runs east of Hillsborough to Durham.  This used to be signed as "Old No. 10" (old number ten) before the road was straightened and had clearances raised about 8 years ago.  It runs roughly parallel to I-85 and unfortunately has become a favorite bypass route for "eastbound" traffic during the frequent shutdowns that occur from wrecks along this narrow section of original Interstate.  But the clearances are still only 12 feet, so I have witnessed a good number of "canopener" incidents at the State University Railroad trestle, which ironically is the old reference name for UNC Chapel Hill.

Similarly, there is a "West Ten Road" that runs from Exit 161 near Efland west to Mebane, and this one is truly parallel to the Interstate (I-85/I-40).  I'm pretty sure that both roads pre-date US-70 which has always been located north of the North Carolina Rail Road.

In both cases, NC 10 was relocated onto current US 70/US 70 Business before NC 10 was renumbered to US 70. There are at least three more "Old NC 10" roads in Burke and McDowell counties, with the same history.

http://roadgeek.filpus.org/OldNC10.html

Yea I just moved to Hillsborough and I love the hidden history of the highways around here. I live near the intersection of NC 86 and old NC 10.

[Dirt Roads]

... "Old NC 10" runs east of Hillsborough to Durham.  This used to be signed as "Old No. 10" (old number ten) before the road was straightened and had clearances raised about 8 years ago.  It runs roughly parallel to I-85 and unfortunately has become a favorite bypass route for "eastbound" traffic during the frequent shutdowns that occur from wrecks along this narrow section of original Interstate.  But the clearances are still only 12 feet, so I have witnessed a good number of "canopener" incidents at the State University Railroad trestle, which ironically is the old reference name for UNC Chapel Hill.

Not sure why I didn't notice sooner, but Norfolk Southern has removed the "canopener" devices from the State University Railroad trestle over "Old Number Ten".  They were working on the northern abutment and underslope a few weeks ago.  Ever since the clearance was raised (ergo, road lowered) the wooden headers were lengthened and each side of the bridge were equipped with yellow-painted I-beams that served as "canopeners" and kept trucks from hitting the bridge.  On at least five different occasions, I have seen the eastbound "canopened" knocked off the edge of the trestle (and in one case, severely damaged the truck cab). 

One time (about 4 years ago), I came through westbound while the offending UPS truck was trying to back up all the way back to the University Station Road intersection.  Somebody had already pulled the I-beam off the roadway into the ditch, but the Highway Patrol had not yet arrived on the scene.  I'm sure it's too heavy for my tractor, so I would guess that a wrecker was called.  And yes, every case I know of was related to wrecks closing lanes of I-85 northbound.  Oh yeah, the westbound I-beam "canopener" has spent most of the last year in the same ditch.

And I should correct my previous post, as the clearance is marked as 12'-6".

[Dirt Roads]

We can go back even further.  The new forest park just west of Hillsborough (managed by the Town, but at the far edge of the extraterritorial jurisdiction) is misnamed Kings Highway Park.  The old main east-west road through town is still known as King Street, and it predates NC-10 by 150 years or more.  A map from 1770 shows the road named "Trading Path" actually heading due west out of Hillsboro and turning southwest towards Salisbury (didn't check to see how far it goes).  Much of the old King Street was stubbed off, and the old North Carolina Military Institute was constructed at the western end (along the west side of Barracks Road).  The new Kings Highway Park is due west just over the hill.  Looking at the old map, I would assume that the old King Street kept going west and zig-zagged down the hill down to a ford across the Eno River.

[frankenroad]

OH 41 has one or two alignments south of Springfield called Old 70 Rd.  OH 41 was of course OH 70 before Ohio renumbered its I-duplicate state routes in the 60s. Before that event, the road was realigned to eliminate crossings with a railroad which at the time carried significant passenger traffic.

Another Ohio example, for the same reason, is Old SR 74.  About the same time that I-74 was added to Ohio, old SR 74 was replaced by a new 4-laner, which is OH-32.  OH-32 and old SR 74 cross each other several times.