U.S. Route 15-501 in North Carolina
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| US 15-501 Concurrency |
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| Length: | 103 mi (166 km) |
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| Direction: | North/South |
| From: |    I-74/US 74/401 in Laurinburg, NC |
| Major junctions: |
 NC 147 in Durham; I-40 near Durham; US 64 near Pittsboro; US 1 in Sanford & in Aberdeen |
| To: |  I-85 in Durham, NC |
| Major cities: | Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Sanford, Carthage, Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen |
The U.S. Highway 15-501 concurrency is a vital route in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Commonly referred to as simply "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"), the conjoined routes provide a major link between Durham, Chapel Hill, and other Triangle communities with the Sandhills. US 15 and US 501 are concurrent throughout most of the state, splitting in north Durham and in Laurinburg. Rivals Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are separated by eight miles and are both located roughly along US 15-501. As a result, the highway is a symbol of the separation and the rivalry and is also commonly referred to as the Tobacco Road.
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[edit] Route description
From Oxford to approximately one mile north of the Granville-Durham county line, U.S. 15 runs parallel with I-85, merging at Exit 186 near the Falls of the Neuse reservoir into Durham County. U.S. 501 enters Durham after crossing the state line passing through Roxboro. At Exit 177, U.S. 15 Business joins U.S. 501 Business towards downtown Durham, while U.S. 15 Bypass continues along Interstate 85, becoming concurrent with U.S. Route 501 at Exit 176. U.S. 15-501 separates from I-85 at Exit 174 (Jefferson Davis Highway), and merges with U.S. 15-501 Business in southwest Durham, and continuing as a divided, four-lane highway with at-grade crossings towards Pittsboro. Between Pittsboro and Sanford, the route is also concurrent with N.C. 87. U.S. 15-501 also shares pavement with U.S. 1 in Sanford and in Aberdeen as it continues southbound. In Laurinburg, U.S. 15 and 501 (Bypass) run concurrently with U.S. 401 Bypass. The U.S. 15-401-501 concurrency ends at an interchange with U.S. 74, where U.S. 501 heads southeast from Laurinburg to Rowland before entering South Carolina while U.S. 15-401 continues south, entering South Carolina at McColl.
[edit] Superstreet
To remedy common heavy traffic problems in the Durham/Chapel Hill area, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is installing a superstreet intersection in hopes of allowing better traffic flow. This superstreet concept is new to North Carolina and the U.S. 15-501/Europa Drive superstreet intersection in Chapel Hill will be among the state's first.
[edit] Nearby points of interest
- Duke University
- Former South Square Mall
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Pinehurst Resort
- Fort Bragg Military Reservation
[edit] Interesting facts
- Fifteen501 is a magazine devoted to life in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties, named after the highway that connects these areas. It is published quarterly.
