I-95 Business and US 301 Freeway in Fayetteville, NC

[roadman65]

Before the Fayetteville Bypass was completed (the last section in NC for I-95 to be opened) there was no interrchange between I-95 Busniess and its parent!  The two freeways were continious and the actual freeway portion of I-95 Businesss and US 301 was signed as mainline I-95.  This was done up until the mid 80's when the bypass was completed.

Was there another alignment proposed for I-95 using this freeway?  Or was this like I-895 in MD where the Harbor Tunnell Thruway was signed as I-95 just to make it easier on motorists until the For McHenry Tunnel and Freeway were opened?

[Buummu]

I do not know... is there any pics of the interchange before the fayetteville bypass is completed?

[Henry]

Before the Fayetteville Bypass was completed (the last section in NC for I-95 to be opened) there was no interrchange between I-95 Busniess and its parent!  The two freeways were continious and the actual freeway portion of I-95 Businesss and US 301 was signed as mainline I-95.  This was done up until the mid 80's when the bypass was completed.

Was there another alignment proposed for I-95 using this freeway?  Or was this like I-895 in MD where the Harbor Tunnell Thruway was signed as I-95 just to make it easier on motorists until the For McHenry Tunnel and Freeway were opened?

I believe that they wanted I-95 to bypass Fayetteville all along. Just like I-85 further west was routed onto US 29 and US 70 until they finished the freeway bypass of Lexington and High Point; in all three cases, the interstate was always intended to use a different alignment than its original routing.

[Mapmikey]

On both ends I-95 was seamless onto what is now I-95 Business.

On the south end the partial interchange present where US 301 splits from 95 Bus has been there since 1959 and this is where I-95 was signed heading south.

On the north end the freeway north of the Cape Fear River goes back to this same timeframe.  County maps from the 60s show I-95 labeled on the freeway down to the US 301 Eastover Exit and only US 301 south of there (however I also seem to recall it being posted as I-95).  The 1962 Cumberland County map shows a dotted line where I-95 bypassing the city runs now, so I'd say it is unlikely 95 was ever slated to follow US 301's current route, despite several interchanges being built pre-95 along the route.

Mapmikey

[Buummu]

On both ends I-95 was seamless onto what is now I-95 Business.

On the south end the partial interchange present where US 301 splits from 95 Bus has been there since 1959 and this is where I-95 was signed heading south.

On the north end the freeway north of the Cape Fear River goes back to this same timeframe.  County maps from the 60s show I-95 labeled on the freeway down to the US 301 Eastover Exit and only US 301 south of there (however I also seem to recall it being posted as I-95).  The 1962 Cumberland County map shows a dotted line where I-95 bypassing the city runs now, so I'd say it is unlikely 95 was ever slated to follow US 301's current route, despite several interchanges being built pre-95 along the route.

Mapmikey

Yeah i noticed that on the map...

[Avalanchez71]

On both ends I-95 was seamless onto what is now I-95 Business.

On the south end the partial interchange present where US 301 splits from 95 Bus has been there since 1959 and this is where I-95 was signed heading south.

On the north end the freeway north of the Cape Fear River goes back to this same timeframe.  County maps from the 60s show I-95 labeled on the freeway down to the US 301 Eastover Exit and only US 301 south of there (however I also seem to recall it being posted as I-95).  The 1962 Cumberland County map shows a dotted line where I-95 bypassing the city runs now, so I'd say it is unlikely 95 was ever slated to follow US 301's current route, despite several interchanges being built pre-95 along the route.

Mapmikey

Yeah i noticed that on the map...

What map and what year?

[CanesFan27]

On both ends I-95 was seamless onto what is now I-95 Business.

On the south end the partial interchange present where US 301 splits from 95 Bus has been there since 1959 and this is where I-95 was signed heading south.

On the north end the freeway north of the Cape Fear River goes back to this same timeframe.  County maps from the 60s show I-95 labeled on the freeway down to the US 301 Eastover Exit and only US 301 south of there (however I also seem to recall it being posted as I-95).  The 1962 Cumberland County map shows a dotted line where I-95 bypassing the city runs now, so I'd say it is unlikely 95 was ever slated to follow US 301's current route, despite several interchanges being built pre-95 along the route.

Mapmikey

Many local business owners pushed for I-95 to be routed along US 301.  lawsuits began in the mid-late 1960s and nearly went to the Supreme Court in 1975.   A compromise route between 301 and the current 95 was pushed by some factions but the state kept the original routing that Mike refers to.

The 17 miles of I-95 in Fayetteville opened in December 1980.