State Route 168

A five lane arterial linking Chesapeake, Virginia with Currituck County, North Carolina, North Carolina Highway 168 provides the main route to the Outer Banks from Virginia and the overall Mid-Atlantic region. Despite the high volume of traffic during the tourist season, the road remains rural in character outside of the Moyock community near the Virginia state line. Accommodating growth in the resort areas to the southeast, the state route was widening from two to five lanes in the early 1990s.

1963 North Carolina Official Highway Map

Prior to 1979, NC 168 followed what is now NC 34 from Sligo southward to U.S. 158, and the US highway west into Elizabeth City.¹ The route continued south along what was NC 34 on a combination of Waters and Ehringhaus Streets around the city center, and on Road Street and Herrington Road to what is now NC 344.

NC 168 followed Weeksville Road (NC 344) south from Elizabeth City to end in Weeksville. All of this former route of NC 168, and the portion north from Sligo was previously numbered as NC 170. NC 170 formed a multi state route with Virginia Route 170 in Chesapeake.

North

NC 168 (Caratoke Highway) northbound at NC 34 (Shawboro Road) south in Sligo. NC 168 constitutes a five lane arterial northwest from Barco to Chesapeake, Virginia. NC 34 leads three miles south to Shawboro.

12/17/01

Puddin Ridge Road intersects NC 168 (Caratoke Highway) at one of the traffic lights within the community of Moyock.

08/24/09

NC 168 (Caratoke Highway) reaches the Virginia state line at North Point Boulevard by the Border Station store (the store is bisected by the state boundary). Virginia 168 begins here and travels a short distance onto the tolled Chesapeake Expressway

08/24/09

References:

1. NCRoads.com: N.C. 34.

Connect with:

U.S. 158

Page Updated Monday September 23, 2019.