North Carolina Highway 20

North Carolina Highway 20 (NC 20) is a 27-mile (43 km) North Carolina state highway that runs through Bladen, Robeson and Hoke counties. It serves as a major road in each of the three incorporated communities it passes through. The route is co-designated as St. Pauls Road in Raeford, Main Street in Lumber Bridge, and Broad Street in St. Pauls.

Route description

NC 20 begins at its eastern terminus at NC 87 in northwest Bladen County near Tar Heel and the Cape Fear River. From there, the route travels in a westerly direction into Robeson County and through the heart of St. Pauls. After crossing US 301 (Fifth Street), NC 20 continues to an interchange with I-95 (exit 31) at the western edge of town.

After the interchange, NC 20 darts northwest through the town of Lumber Bridge, where it crosses NC 71 (Fayetteville Street). Crossing over the county line into Hoke County, NC 20 heads northwest to meet with Business US 401 (Central Avenue) in downtown Raeford. There, NC 20 joins Business US 401 for approximately 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to end at NC 211 (Main Street).^[2]

History

The original NC 20 was at one time the longest numbered route in North Carolina, running from the Tennessee border to the port city of Wilmington, a distance of 401 miles (645 km). After the introduction of U.S. highways in North Carolina in 1934, the route was carved up between routes US 19, US 70, US 74, US 76, and US 17.^[1]

The modern NC 20 was originally NC 220. Despite a few minor reroutings, the state highway has remained largely unchanged since the 1930s. The NC 220 designation was dropped permanently from the state highway system around 1935 after the introduction of US 220 into North Carolina.^[3] With the possible extension of I-20 into North Carolina, this route may be renumbered again.

Major intersections

References