U.S. 321

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U.S. 321 travels from the Piedmont of South Carolina north and northwestward to the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Between Gastonia and Hickory, the highway is a freeway. North of Hickory and Lenoir, U.S. 321 constitutes a four lane at-grade arterial until its ascension into the Blue Ridge Mountains. U.S. 321 begins its westward movement toward Tennessee near the towns of Blowing Rock and Boone, where it meets U.S. 221 and U.S. 421.

U.S. 321 North Carolina Guides

North - Gastonia to Hickory - 31 photos

North - Hickory to Lenoir - 28 photos

South - Lenoir to Hickory - 43 photos

U.S. 321A - 8 photos

Prior to 1960, U.S. 321 concluded northwest at Boone, North Carolina. The states of North Carolina and Tennessee jointly requested a westward extension of the route

To provide a continuous U.S. Route Number from Hickory and the industrial area of West Central North Carolina to the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee.

U.S. 321 overlaid U.S. 421 from Boone to Sugar Grove, and then NC 603 to the state line. Within the Volunteer State, U.S. 321 replaced State Route 159 to SR 67, and then SR 67 via Hampton and Elizabethton, and along SR 91 to Johnson City. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) granted the state requests on June 28, 1960.

U.S. 321 was relocated onto the freeway from Dallas north to Long Shoals in August 1989. The 7.10 mile stretch was approved as the new route for U.S. 321 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on December 8, 1990. The remainder of the limited access highway northwest to Interstate 40 in Hickory was completed by 1999. U.S. 321 was subsequently realigned 16.28 miles west from Maiden, Newton and a 7.71 mile long overlap with U.S. 70 in south Hickory. The 21.14 mile long former route was renumbered as part of a newly established U.S. 321 Business measuring 30.95 miles south to Lincolnton, High Shoals and Dallas. AASHTO approved these changes on April 17, 1999.

A 0.70 mile long section of U.S. 221/421 was realigned onto a new roadway in Boone between NC 194 and the South Fork New River. AASHTO concurred with the new route on April 27, 1997.

South

scenes

Southwest Boulevard (SR 1933) encircles Lenoir to the south along a controlled access expressway east from U.S. 64/NC 18 (Morganton Road) to U.S. 321 (Hickory Boulevard).

06/10/17