North Carolina Highway 3

"NC 3" redirects here. For the NC-3 airplane, see Curtiss NC.

NC 3 marker

NC 3
Dale Earnhardt Boulevard
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length: 27 mi[1] (43 km)
Existed: 2002[1] – present
Major junctions
South end: US 601 in Concord
 

I‑85 in Kannapolis (via Dale Earnhardt Blvd)

US 601 in Concord
North end: NC 152 in Mooresville
Highway system
← NC 2NC 4 →

NC 3 is a North Carolina state highway approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length. It is numbered after Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR driver, who was driving the #3 car when he died at the 2001 Daytona 500.[2] This state highway runs from Kannapolis, Earnhardt's birthplace, to downtown Mooresville. A short section of NC 3 is named Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, a name which was given to the road prior to Earnhardt's death. From Kannapolis to the Cabarrus-Iredell county line, it is signed as Mooresville Road.

Route description

NC 3's southern terminus is in Concord, at NC 73. From there, NC 3 travels north through Kannapolis and on to Mooresville. After meandering through downtown Mooresville and switching roads multiple times, NC 3 meets its northern terminus at Main Street (NC 152).

History

In 1934, NC 3 was signed as a short 1.5-mile (2.4 km) route on Buck Island traveling from U.S. Highway 158 to the Currituck Sound in Currituck County.[1]

On October 23, 2002, Governor Mike Easley signed into law a bill officially reassigning NC 136 to NC 3's current route and vice versa. NC 3 was moved because it was the hometown of the aforementioned Dale Earnhardt who died in the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt drove the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet and grew up in the Mooresville region. NC 136 now follows the old NC 3 route.[2]

Major intersections

Northbound NC 3, in Concord
CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
CabarrusConcord0.00.0 US 601 (Warren C. Coleman Boulevard) to NC 49 – Midland, Mocksville, Harrisburg, Mount PleasantSouthern terminus
2.94.7 NC 73 (Corban Avenue) – Huntersville, Albemarle
6.09.7Copperfield Boulevard (To I‑85 / US 601 – Charlotte, Salisbury)Access to I-85 / US 601, Exit 60
Kannapolis8.714.0 US 29 (Cannon Boulevard) – Concord, Salisbury)
10.216.4Main Street
IredellMooresville27.043.5 NC 152 (Main Street) to NC 115 – China Grove, StatesvilleNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 NCRoads Annex - NC 3
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "SESSION LAW 2002-170 HOUSE BILL 1516" (PDF). General Assembly of North Carolina. Retrieved 2010-01-05.

External links