North Carolina Highway 55
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| NC 55 |
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| Length: | 192 mi (309 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | 1957[1] | ||||||||
| East end: | Oriental Road in Oriental, NC | ||||||||
| Major junctions: |
 US 17 in Bridgeton; US 70 in New Bern; US 258 in Kinston; US 70 in Kinston; US 117 in Mount Olive;  US 13/701 in Newton Grove; I-40 near Newton Grove; I-95 in Dunn; US 421 in Erwin; US 401 in Fuquay-Varina; US 1 in Apex; US 64 in Apex; I-40 in Durham; NC 147 in Durham |
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| West end: |  I-85 in Durham, NC |
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| Counties: | Pamilico, Craven, Lenoir, Wayne, Johnston, Sampson, Harnett, Wake, Durham | ||||||||
| Major cities: | Durham, Cary, Apex, Angier, Erwin, Dunn, Mount Olive, Kinston | ||||||||
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NC 55 is a 192-mile (309 km) North Carolina state highway that serves as a traffic artery connecting Durham to numerous small cities and towns in the The Triangle on its way toward the Pamlico Sound. A portion of NC 55 extends through Research Triangle Park.
[edit] Route description
Although NC 55 is signed EAST/WEST, the most used section of road actually runs in a north-south alignment. Between Durham and Erwin "EAST" is really southbound and "WEST" is really northbound.
Starting at the northern terminus from US 15/501 Business near Interstate 85, the highway cuts a path through a fairly urbanized section of Durham. As it exits Durham, it passes through the western side of Research Triangle Park. Much of this way route is forested and undeveloped. The next leg of the journey enters Cary and Apex. Much of this roadway is under construction as of 2006, to widen the highway in anticipation of higher traffic volumes from construction in Apex and Cary.
After the junction with US 64 and a few shopping-centers, NC 55 passes through Apex (Williams St). NC 55 then splits into business and bypass routes in Holly Springs. Finally, it proceeds to an open landscape with scattered sections of dense forest for the stretch towards Fuquay-Varina. The highway continues southeastward across US 401, eventually exiting Wake County into Harnett County.
In the Erwin/Dunn area the road heads east and merges with NC 50 in Newton Grove. NC 55 leaves to take a more easterly course towards the coast, ending at the Pamlico Sound in Oriental[1].
[edit] Trivia
- During the 2006 Apex Chemical Fire, motorists were not allowed to enter Apex east of NC 55.
