Interstate 42

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Interstate 42US 70 Bypass

Interstate 42 replaces limited access sections along the U.S. 70 corridor from Raleigh to Morehead City in eastern North Carolina. Connecting with state port facilities at Morehead City and the Global Trans Park at Kinston, the 137 mile long route is expected to be a catalyst for economic development. I-42 will also better connect Seymour Johnson Air Force Base at Goldsboro with Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS).1

Interstate 42 Guides

The eastbound beginning of Interstate 42 at Clayton, North Carolina

I-42/U.S. 70 East - Clayton to Selma - 32 photos

Interstate 42 east at the beginning of the Goldsboro Bypass in Wayne County, North Carolina

East - Goldsboro to La Grange - 45 photos

Interstate 42 west on the Goldsboro Bypass in eastern North Carolina

West - La Grange to Goldsboro - 38 photos

I-42/U.S. 70 West - Selma to Clayton - 41 photos

The American Association of State and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved the establishment of Interstate 42 on May 25, 2016. North Carolina previously requested Interstate 36 for the 136.6 mile long corridor. Completed just two days later, the Goldsboro Bypass is a 21.7 mile long freeway constructed in anticipation of the Future I-42 corridor. Designated as U.S. 70 Bypass and split into three sections, the first 3.9 miles opened in December 2011. The western 5.9 miles were finished in October 2015, followed by a 11.9 mile section to the east in 2016.2

Since portions of U.S. 70 were already built to Interstate standards including the Clayton Bypass spurring east from I-40 and U.S. 70 Bypass around the north side of Goldsboro, signs for Interstate 42 were installed along both roads in Fall 2024. East of Kinston, construction underway through 2020 upgraded a 32 mile stretch of freeway between Dover and New Bern to Interstate standards.1

The James City Project by New Bern airport converts a 4.5 mile section of U.S. 70 into a limited access highway. Eliminating five signalized intersections, work started in Spring 2022 and extends to mid 2027. Further east a new bypass was constructed around Havelock for I-42. A dedication ceremony for the Havelock Bypass takes place on December 19, 2025 (North & Pumphrey, 2025).

The last section scheduled for construction along Future I-42 is a bypass to the south of Kinston. The bulk of construction for this leg is scheduled to begin in 2029.1 I-42 is anticipated to be fully complete in 2032.

References:

  1. "Highways connect eastern North Carolina to the future." Reflector (Greenville, SC), March 29, 2020.
  2. NCDOT: US 70 Corridor Improvements - Project Highlights. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), project web page.

North, B. & Pumphrey, M. (2025, December 10). NCDOT to open Havelock Bypass with ceremony on December 19, part of future I-42 project. News12. https://wcti12.com/news/local/ncdot-to-open-havelock-bypass-with-ceremony-on-december-19-part-of-future-i-42-project

Connect with:

Interstate 40Interstate 40
Interstate 95Interstate 95
Interstate 795Interstate 795
U.S. 13U.S. 13
U.S. 70U.S. 70
U.S. 117U.S. 117

Page Updated Friday December 12, 2025.