Interstate 95 in North Carolina

Interstate 95
I-95 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length	181.71 mi[1][2] (292.43 km)
Existed	1958[3]–present
Major junctions
South end	I-95 at the South Carolina state line
Major intersections	I-74 / US 74 near Lumberton I-295 / US 13 in Eastover I-40 near Benson I-795 / US 264 near Wilson US 64 in Rocky Mount
North end	I-95 at the Virginia state line
Location
Counties	Robeson, Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, Wilson, Nash, Halifax, Northampton
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← NC 94 → NC 96

Interstate 95 (I-95) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs along the East Coast of the United States from Miami, Florida to the United States-Canada border in Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of North Carolina, the route runs for 181.71 miles (292.43 km) from the South Carolina border near Rowland, North Carolina to the Virginia border near Pleasant Hill, North Carolina. The highway serves the cities of Lumberton, Fayetteville, Wilson, Rocky Mount and Roanoke Rapids. The route goes through a mostly rural area of the state, avoiding most of the major metro areas of North Carolina. It forms the informal border between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. There are two auxiliary routes for I-95 in the state: I-295, a partially completed bypass of Fayetteville and I-795, a spur route connecting I-95 to the city of Goldsboro.

Route description[]

A section of I-95 in the state has low overpasses, requiring detours for tall vehicles

I-95 enters North Carolina at the South Carolina state line, just north of the South of the Border attraction and just to the south of the town of Rowland. Traveling mostly northeasterly from the border, the road enters Lumberton where it intersects I-74. Frontage roads through Lumberton have extensive travel services, including restaurants, shops, and hotels. Leaving Lumberton, the route turns due northward through a rural area of the state, past the small farming community of St. Pauls. I-95 serves as the eastern bypass of Fayetteville where Interstate 95 Business, an older alignment, connects I-95 to downtown Fayetteville.

I-95 intersects I-40 in Benson, North Carolina, US 264 in Wilson, and US 64 in Rocky Mount, three of the main east-west routes in the eastern part of the state. The last city it passes is Roanoke Rapids before leaving the state near the unincorporated community of Pleasant Hill at the Virginia border. For most of the route, I-95 is paralleled closely by US 301.

Services[]

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) operate and maintain two welcome centers and six rest areas along I-95. Welcome centers, which have a travel information facility on site, are located at mile markers 5 (northbound) and 181 (southbound); rest areas are located at mile markers 47 (north and southbound), 99 (north and southbound) and 142 (north and southbound). Common at all locations are public restrooms, public telephones, vending machines, picnic area and barbecue grills.^[4]

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) operate and maintain four truck inspection/weigh stations along I-95. The Robeson County stations are located on both north and southbound at mile marker 24, each has one fixed scale. The Halifax County stations are located on both north and southbound at mile marker 151, each has two fixed scales.^[5]

Dedicated and memorial names[]

Interstate 95 in North Carolina feature numerous dedicated or memorialized bridges, interchanges and stretches of freeway.

• Blue Star Memorial Highway: official North Carolina honorary name of I-95 throughout the state (approved on June 13, 1980).^[6][7][8]
• Dick Fleming Freeway: official North Carolina name of I-95 from exit 95, in Smithfield, to exit 97, in Selma, in Johnston County. He is honored as being a visionary businessman, who help spur businesses along the two exits and the establishment of Carolina Pottery Store in 1983, which later grew to become Carolina Premium Outlets (approved January, 2013; dedicated March 22, 2013).^[9]
• Hector MacLean Highway: official North Carolina name of I-95 within Lumberton city limits (approved on October 3, 1997).^[6]

History[]

I-95 entering into North Carolina from Virginia

Established in 1956, as part of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, I-95 was routed along or near existing US 301 throughout the state of North Carolina. By 1961, two stretches of the interstate opened: from mile marker 56, in Fayetteville, to mile marker 107, near Kenly; the other a small bypass near Saint Pauls. In 1964, the Saint Pauls section extended further south into Lumberton; while another small stretch opened from US 158, in Roanoke Rapids, to the Virginia state line. In 1969, I-95 was extended further south from Roanoke Rapids to exit 145, in Rocky Mount (later used for NC 4). In 1973, Interstate 95 was completed from Saint Pauls to the South Carolina state line.

By the mid 1970s, I-95 had two gaps along its route in Fayetteville and Kenly-Gold Rock. In May 1978, two Interstate 95 Business loops were established, both overlapping US 301, to help connect through the gaps and make I-95 appear as one continuous route throughout the state. In November 1978, the first gap to be completed was the Kenly-Gold Rock section.^[10] The final section of Interstate 95 was completed in 1980, an easterly bypass of Fayetteville.^[11][12]

Tolls[]

The idea of tolling I-95 started in 2001 as a way to pay for improvements along the route. In 2003, state officials sought permission from the Federal Highway Administration for a plan that would cost $3 billion and put toll booths every thirty miles along the entire route. However, this was quickly killed by Governor Mike Easley, who did not support tolls.^[13]

In 2006, when the Virginia General Assembly passed the resolution calling for an interstate compact to build a toll highway, North Carolina was asked to join in on the compact of putting tolls along the entire length of Interstate 95 in both states.^[14] Again, this was stopped by Governor Mike Easley, who did not see the benefit in such a compact and reiterated his opposition of tolls along Interstate 95.^[12]

In 2010, North Carolina leaders revived talks on tolling Interstate 95, submitting a request to the Federal Highway Administration to toll the entire route. Approval would be considered after an environmental assessment and other conditions. Support has grown in a number of factors including the fact that the interstate is mostly rural and used predominantly by out-of-state drivers.^[12]

On January 20, 2012, NCDOT received final approval of the Environmental Assessment for improvements along I-95 in North Carolina. The following recommendations were made:

• Widen I-95 to eight lanes (four lanes in each direction) from exit 31 to exit 81;
• Widen the remaining sections of I-95 to six lanes (three lanes in each direction);
• Make necessary repairs to pavement;
• Raise and rebuild bridges;
• Improve interchanges; and
• Bring I-95 up to current safety standards for interstates.

It is estimated to cost $4.4 billion with recommendation that it should be paid through tolls. Construction would begin in two phases: Phase 1 (exit 31-exit 81) would begin in 2016 with tolls starting after completion; phase 2 would begin in 2019, which covers the remainder of the interstate.^[15][16][17] With a possible 2019 start date for the tolls, NCDOT plans to install nine overhead toll collection sensors every twenty miles with additional toll collection sensors at exits before tolls (to reduce drivers from jumping off and on at each toll); main toll stations will charge twenty miles each while exit tolls will charge ten miles each. Gaps along the route, where no toll collectors are located, will allow local traffic to utilize the interstate toll free. Though the toll rates have not been established, a NCDOT report suggest charging 19.2 cents per mile (11.9 ¢/km) for cars in the phase 1 section, with a much lower rate of 6.4 ¢/mi (4.0 ¢/km) on phase 2 sections; which would work out to be $19.20 from border to border (trucks with three axles or more will be charged more). Drivers that do not carry a toll transponder (i.e. North Carolina Quick Pass) will have their license numbers recorded by cameras and will be billed by mail, at a higher toll rate.^[18]

As of June 5, 2018, a share of $147 million dollars in federal grant money provided by the Trump administration was being used to partially fund upgrades to I-95.

Future[]

NCDOT plans to widen I-95 from four to six lanes between mile markers 14 and 21, in Robeson County. However, it is currently flagged "Scheduled for Reprioritization," with no estimated cost or date established.^[19]

An improvement project along I-95 includes widening sections of the interstate in Cumberland and Robeson counties between Exit 22 & Exit 40 and in Harnett & Johnston counties between Exit 71 & Exit 81 to eight lanes. Currently, funding is expected for the Cumberland and Robeson section after 2027 and construction scheduled for the Harnett & Johnston counties section in 2026.^[20]

Exit list[]

County	Location	mi[2]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
North Carolina–South Carolina line		0.00– 0.06	0.00– 0.097		I-95 south – Florence	Continuation into South Carolina
				1	US 301 / US 501 – Rowland, Laurinburg, Dillon	Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) southbound; exits 1 northbound and 1A southbound are in South Carolina
Robeson	​	2.32	3.73	2	NC 130 to NC 904 – Rowland, Fairmont
	​	7.16	11.52	7	Raynham Road – McDonald, Raynham
	​	10.40	16.74	10	US 301 south – Raynham	South end of US 301 overlap
	Lumberton	13.01	20.94	13	I-74 / US 74 – Whiteville, Wilmington, Laurinburg, Rockingham	Signed as exits 13A (east) and 13B (west); cloverleaf interchange with collector/distributor lanes
		13.69	22.03	14	US 74	Permanently closed in 2007; replaced by exit 13
		17.03	27.41	17	NC 72 / NC 711 – Lumberton, Pembroke, Red Springs
		18.74	30.16	19	Carthage Road
		19.85	31.95	20	NC 211 to NC 41 – Lumberton, Red Springs, Fairmont
		21.53	34.65	22	US 301 north – Lumberton	North end of US 301 overlap
	​	25.04	40.30	25	US 301
	St. Pauls	31.39	50.52	31	NC 20 – St. Pauls, Raeford
		33.02	53.14	33	US 301 to NC 71 – Parkton, St. Pauls
	​				I-295	Future interchange (Scheduled completion: 2024.)[21]
Cumberland	​	40.24	64.76	40	I-95 BL north to US 301 – Fayetteville, Fort Bragg	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Hope Mills	41.28	66.43	41	NC 59 north – Hope Mills
	​	43.81	70.51	44	Snow Hill Road – Fayetteville Regional Airport
	​	45.98	74.00	46	NC 87 – Elizabethtown, Fayetteville	Signed as exits 46A (south) and 46B (north); cloverleaf interchange with collector/distributor lanes
	Fayetteville	48.93	78.75	49	NC 53 / NC 210 – Fayetteville
	Vander	51.58	83.01	52	NC 24 – Fayetteville, Clinton	Signed as exits 52A (east) and 52B (west); cloverleaf interchange with C/D lanes
	Eastover	54.52	87.74	55	Murphy Road
		54.98	88.48	56	I-95 BL south to US 301 – Fayetteville, Fort Bragg	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		57.86	93.12	58	I-295 south / US 13 north to US 401 – Newton Grove, Fort Bragg	Southern terminus of US 13
	​	61.17	98.44	61	Wade–Steadman Road – Wade
	​	65.22	104.96	65	NC 82 – Godwin, Falcon
Harnett	​	69.52	111.88	70	Bud Hawkins Road
	​	70.74	113.84	71	Long Branch Road
	Dunn	72.38	116.48	72	Pope Road
		72.99	117.47	73	US 421 / NC 55 – Dunn, Clinton, Newton Grove
	​	74.87	120.49	75	Jonesboro Road
	​	76.84	123.66	77	Hodges Chapel Road
Johnston	Benson	79.42	127.81	79	NC 50 / NC 242 to NC 27 – Benson, Newton Grove
		80.95	130.28	81	I-40 – Wilmington, Raleigh, Durham	Signed southbound as exits 81A (west) and 81B (east)
	Four Oaks	87.50	140.82	87	Keen Road – Four Oaks
		89.70	144.36	90	US 301 / US 701 south / NC 96 – Newton Grove	Leads to Bentonville Civil War Battleground
	Smithfield	93.04	149.73	93	Brogden Road – Smithfield
		94.75	152.49	95	US 70 Bus. – Smithfield, Goldsboro
	Selma	96.81	155.80	97	US 70 – Selma, Pine Level, Goldsboro	Southern terminus of unsigned NC 39
		98.00	157.72	98	Pine Level–Selma Road – Selma
	Micro	101.28	162.99	101	Pittman Road
		102.43	164.85	102	Main Street – Micro
	Kenly	104.50	168.18	105	Bagley Road
		105.88	170.40	106	Truck Stop Road
		107.12	172.39	107	US 301 – Kenly, Wilson	Leads to Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
Wilson	​	116.33	187.21	116	NC 42 – Wilson, Clayton
	Wilson	119.27	191.95	119	I-795 south / US 264 – Wilson, Greenville, Goldsboro, Raleigh	Northern terminus of I-795; signed as exits 119A (I-795 south/US 264 east) and 119B (US 264 west); cloverleaf interchange with collector/distributor roadways
		121.37	195.33	121	US 264 Alt. – Wilson, Sims
Nash	​	126.82	204.10	127	NC 97 – Rocky Mount–Wilson Regional Airport
	​	132.27	212.87	132	To NC 58 / Sandy Cross Road
	Rocky Mount				Sunset Avenue	Interchange under construction [22][23]
		138.32	222.60	138	US 64 – Nashville, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Tarboro	Signed as exits 138A (west) 138B (east); cloverleaf interchange with collector/distributor roadways; leads to NC Aquarium and Cape Hatteras National Seashore
	Dortches	140.69	226.42	141	NC 43 – Red Oak
	Rocky Mount	144.99	233.34	145	NC 4 / NC 48 to US 301 – , Rocky Mount
	​	149.63	240.81	150	NC 33 – Whitakers
Halifax	​	153.54	247.10	154	NC 481 – Enfield
	​	160.37	258.09	160	NC 561 – Halifax	Leads to Medoc Mountain State Park
	​	167.56	269.66	168	NC 903 – Halifax
	Roanoke Rapids	170.57	274.51	171	NC 125 – Roanoke Rapids
		172.81	278.11	173	US 158 – Roanoke Rapids, Weldon
Northampton	​	175.67	282.71	176	NC 46 – Gaston, Garysburg
	​	179.87	289.47	180	NC 48 – Gaston
	​	181.36	291.87		I-95 north – Richmond	Continuation into Virginia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

Related routes[]

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by , if appropriate. Editing help is available. (March 2022)

	Interstate	City	Type	Notes
	Interstate 95 Business	Fayetteville	Business loop	Expressway and boulevard grades.
	Interstate 95 Business	Wilson and Rocky Mount	Business loop	Boulevard grade. Decommissioned.
	Interstate 295	Fayetteville	Bypass	Currently 19.3 miles (31.1 km) in length; to be extended.
	Interstate 495	Raleigh	Connector	Connected between I-440 and I-540. Decommissioned and replaced by I-87.
	Interstate 795	Wilson and Goldsboro	Spur

See also[]

• Cape Fear River
• Lake Gaston
• Lumber River
• Neuse River
• Roanoke River

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

• Media related to Interstate 95 in North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
• Driving95|I-95 Corridor Planning & Financial Study
• Internatate 95 North Carolina @ SoutheastRoads.com (AARoads)
• Exitlists.com (I-95)

Interstate 95
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