North Carolina Highway 197
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| NC 197 |
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| Length: | 65 mi (105 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | By 1924[1] | ||||||||
| North end: |  TN 395 near Poplar, NC |
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| Major junctions: |
 NC 226 Red HillUS 19E in Burnsville |
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| South end: | Fut.   Fut. I-26/US 19/US 23near Flat Creek, NC |
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| Counties: | Mitchell, Yancey, Buncombe | ||||||||
| Major cities: | Burnsville | ||||||||
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NC 197 is a north/south state highway in western North Carolina. The route is approximately 65 miles (105 kilometers) in length and with its continuation into Tennessee as SSR 395 connects Erwin, Tennessee to Flat Creek, North Carolina.[2] Portions of this highway lie within the Pisgah National Forest.
NC 197 has the distinction of being one of the only remaining North Carolina State Highways that have an unpaved portion.
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[edit] Route
[edit] Mitchell County
Beginning at the state line with Tennessee, NC 197 enters the Pisgah National Forest and winds south down the Unaka escarpment to Poplar. South of Poplar, NC 197 begins the first of three segments where it follows the North Toe River and the former Clinchfield Railroad. It intersects and overlaps NC 226 for a short distance near Red Hill.
- Towns served: Poplar and Red Hill.
[edit] Yancey County
The final segment of NC 197 that follows the Toe River does so in the reverse direction as the previous two times this occurred. This segment comes after a railroad crossing and an old concrete arch bridge that carries the highway across the Toe River into Yancey County.
After leaving the river area, NC 197 continues through mountains and grassy knolls until it arrives at US 19E just east of Burnsville.
Following a short overlap with US 19E NC 197 leaves US 19E in Burnsville as “Pensacola Rd.” and goes through the Cane River valley to Pensacola. From Pensacola, NC 197 turns right and proceeds over Cane River Gap into Buncombe County.
- Towns served: Green Mountain, Burnsville, Pensacola and Murchison.
[edit] Buncombe County
As it enters Buncombe County, NC 197 (now North Fork Rd.) turns to gravel as it crosses the Cane River Gap for a short distance and reenters the Pisgah National Forest for a short distance. As it winds its way down to the Barnardsville valley it crosses over the headwaters of Ivy Creek four times before it continues onto the pavement near Barnardsville.
From Barnardsville, NC 197 (as the Barnardsville Hwy) becomes a relatively straight road that partially follows Ivy Creek until its junction with Future I-26/US 19/US 23 at I-26 exit 15 near Flat Creek. Proceeding forward from the end of NC 197 is Jupiter Rd. (SR 1756).
A right turn before the overpass allows access to West Future I-26/North US 19/US 23 to Johnson City, Tennessee. A left turn after the Future I-26 underpass allows access to East Future I-26/South US 19/US 23 to Asheville.
- Towns served: Barnardsville.
[edit] History
- 1920s-1940s: NC 197 is formed, running from Cane Creek Post Office (near Burnsville) to Bakersville. Portions of that alignment are now NC 226.[3] Between 1924 and 1948 the highway's route had been changed to run from the former NC 26 at Red Hill southward to Flat Creek along a route similar to that in use today.[4]
- 1980s: NC 197 is extended from Red Hill to the Tennessee State Line where it enters Tennessee as TN 395.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ State of North Carolina, Office of the Senior Highway Engineer. The State Highway System of North Carolina [map], June 1, 1924 edition.
- ^ NCDOT Communications Office and Geographic Information Services Unit. 2007 North Carolina State Transportation Map [map], 2007 edition. Section C2, D2.
- ^ State of North Carolina, Office of the Senior Highway Engineer. The State Highway System of North Carolina [map], June 1, 1924 edition.
- ^ North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. North Carolina Primary Highway System [map], 1948-1949 edition. Section C2, C3.
- ^ N.C. Department of Transportation/N.C. Department of Economic and Community Development, Travel and Tourism Division. North Carolina Official Transportation Map [map], 1992 edition. Section C2, D2.
