N.C. 40 to 44  < 35 to 39 | Home | 44 to 48 > Photo:

N.C. 40  2 times dead
Formerly:		The first NC 40 was one of North Carolina's original main highways. In 1922, NC 40 began at original NC 20, on the corner of 4th and Market St in Wilmington. It proceeded to Nixon St, then east to today's McRae St. to leave the Wilmington area (none of these streets NC 40 used in Wilmington is primary highway now). NC 40 proceeded north to Burgaw, Wallace, Magnolia, Kenansville, Warsaw, Faison, Mt. Olive, Goldsboro, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Enfield, Halifax, Weldon, Roanoke Rapids, then into Virginia at today's NC 46 crossing., which did not number the road to Emporia at that time. In 1924, NC 40 was rerouted between Burgaw and Kenansville. Originally, NC 40 followed today's SR 1315 from Burgaw to Wallace, SR 1172 Wallace to Teachey, US 117 Teachey to Magnolia, and NC 903 Magnolia to Kenansville. The new 1924 routing followed today's US 117 Burgaw north to NC 11 north to Kenansville. The original NC 40 routing went unnumbered for several years. In 1925, NC 40 was rerouted at Weldon. Now NC 40 went Weldon-Garysburg-Pleasant Hill-Virginia. Even Virginia got the hint and assigned VA 24 to its side. Previously, only Weldon to Garysburg had been a primary route (NC 48). The old NC 40 became an extended NC 48 from Weldon to Roanoke Rapids, part of NC 481 from Roanoke Rapids to Gaston, and unnumbered from Gaston northwest to Virginia (though eventually this became NC 46). It appears that in 1927 or so, NC 40 was rerouted in the Weldon area back to its 1922 routing. This replaced the first NC 481, and the straight Weldon to Pleasant Hill road became the second NC 481. Additionally in 1927, US 17-1 was assigned to all of NC 40, except in the Weldon area (US 17-1 always followed today's US 301 routing). In 1930 or 1931, NC 40 was rerouted in the Weldon area back to its 1925 Routing, replacing the second NC 481. NC 40's old routing became NC 40A. The NC 40 routing changes all sound too strange to be true. I could use some official NC maps from 1926-32. However, I did notice that VDOT official maps stopped labeling these roads on the NC side between 1929-33, probably because they couldn't keep up with the changes. In 1932, NC 40 was extended south to Fort Fisher as new primary routing. Additionally, US 17-1 was renumbered as US 117 Wilmington to Wilson, and US 301 Wilson to Virginia. The 1933 Standard Map shows NC 40 using 3rd St. instead of 4th Street in Wilmington, though that change could have occurred anytime between 1924-33. As you can imagine, the Great Renumbering was hard on NC 40. NC 40 was truncated to run only from Wilmington south to Fort Fisher, starting in late 1934, leaving behind US 117 and US 301. Alas, this short remaining NC 40 piece was renumbered as an extended US 421 in 1935. The second NC 40 was born between 1936-38. It ran from NC 55 Coats east to US 301-NC 50 Benson. This NC 40 had not been previously numbered. In 1940 or 1941, NC 40 was extended west as new routing to US 421 Buies Creek. NC 40 was renumbered as an extended NC 27, as it remains today, in 1957 or 1958. There was a third NC 40 for a brief time. In 1957 or 1958, NC 40 was reborn in the Wilmington area. It ran from NC 87 Southport north into Wilmington, then to Castle Hayne, then veered west to end at NC 210. Below Wilmington was a renumbering of part of NC 130. The piece between US 117 and NC 210 had been the easternmost piece of NC 210 (and was US 421's south approach to Wilmington historically). NC 40 was short lived because the interstates came and they needed the number 40 for that. So they renumbered all of NC 40 as today's NC 133, which it remains today,		1. up to 1924 - NC 40 veers northwest of Weldon 2. 1925 - NC 40 goes directly north from Weldon

N.C. 42  229 miles
The Road:		Begins at I-73/74, US 220 Asheboro in Randolph County and ends at NC 45 Colerain in Bertie County
Towns and Attractions:		Asheboro, Sanford, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Wilson, Pinetops, Oak City, Ahoskie
History:		NC 42 was born by 1922. It began at NC 40 (now US 301) outside Wilson, and proceeded to NC 12 (now US 258) east of Pinetops, a humble 19 miles. NC 42's first change may have been a shortening, as NC 43 was extended south in 1931 or 1932 to Greenville, it may have taken over NC 42 from Pinetops to US 258. In 1934, NC 42 was extended west as new routing through Wilson to end at NC 23 (current NC 39). About 1936, NC 42 was extended west again as new routing through Clayton to end at US 15A (now US 401) McCullers. West of NC 39 this would not be today's NC 42. Then, NC 42 multiplexed with NC 39 to SR 1733, then west to either NC 96 or SR 1720 to Covered Bridge Road, which took NC 42 to Clayton. West of Clayton, NC 42 used today's NC 42 until it got near NC 50, where it used SR 1010, a multiplex with NC 50, and Ten Ten Rd. to McCullers. NC 42 was given its current straight alignment between Clayton and NC 39 in 1940 or 1941. NC 42 was rerouted at NC 50 to run west to US 15A/NC 55 at Fuquay-Varina between 1948-50. Between 1954-63, NC 42 was extended in both directions - east as new routing to Conetoe and over to NC 125-903 southeast of Hamilton and west to Sanford and ending at US 64/NC 49 Asheboro. The westward extension was new routing except west of NC 22, which had been part of NC 902. Additionally, NC 42 was routed (along with US 70) to avoid Clayton directly. Between 1964-68, NC 42 was extended west to US 220 Business in Downtown Asheboro. About 1974, NC 42 was rerouted east of Conetoe to its present routing. This left behind NC 142. From there to near Ahoskie was a multiplex with the newly built NC 11. From Aulander to Colerain was a renumbering of NC 350. By 1990, NC 42 was extended west out to the US 220 freeway.		NC 42's original routing
Comment:		Although I could not find a map to show this, the Ten Ten Rd. exit at US 1 used to be labeled as Old NC 42. If NC 42 was extended to Apex, it would've been only around 1947-50. NC 42 is not one of those routes one would use to get from Asheboro to Colerain, as US 64 takes a pretty direct route to get from Asheboro to Colerain (via NC 45).

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