North Carolina Highway 211

North Carolina Highway 211
Route of NC 211 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	162.5 mi[1] (261.5 km)
Existed:	1921 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 421 in Fort Fisher
	US 17 in Supply US 74 / US 76 near Bolton US 701 in Clarkton I‑95 / US 301 in Lumberton US 401 in Raeford US 15 / US 501 in Aberdeen US 1 in Aberdeen I‑73 / I‑74 / US 220 in Candor
West end:	US 220 Alt. / NC 731 in Candor
Location
Counties:	Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Robeson, Hoke, Moore, Montgomery
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← NC 210 NC 212 →

North Carolina Highway 211 (NC 211) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses mostly through the Sandhills and Coastal Plain regions of the state; connecting the cities of Candor, Aberdeen, Raeford, Lumberton, Bladenboro, and Southport.

Route description

NC 211 is predominantly a two-lane rural highway that traverses for 158.4 miles (254.9 km) in a diagonal northwesterly route. Its southern terminus is at US 421, via the Fort Fisher Ferry Terminal, in Fort Fisher. Crossing the Cape Fear River on the Fisher-Southport Ferry, travelers enter the town of Southport; where the highway first goes through the downtown area before begins its northwesterly direction to Supply, where it connects with US 17.

Now going on an almost due north direction, it passes through the Green Swamp Preserve, reaching the town of Bolton, where it connects with US 74 and US 76. This section of highway may one day be paralleled by a future segment of I-74.

Returning to a north-westerly direction, it goes through Clarkton (connecting with US 701) and makes a bypass north of Bladenboro before reaching the biggest city along its route, Lumberton. In Lumberton, it follows Roberts Avenue, as it bypasses the downtown area; at the north-end of Lumberton, it connects with I-95/US 301.

North of Red Springs, the highway designations change from north–south to east–west direction; though it continues to go on an almost northerly route through Raeford (connecting with US 401), passing along the western edge of Fort Bragg, and Aberdeen (connecting with US 1/US 15/US 501), until it reaches a roundabout in Pinehurst. After the roundabout, NC 211 goes on a more westerly direction, it traverses through West End and Eagle Springs, before ending at its western terminus in Candor (connecting with I-73/I-74/US 220).

History

NC 211's original routing through the Lumberton area is shown on this 1922 map.

Established in 1921 as an original state highway, traversing from NC 23 (today US 701 Bus), in Clarkton, to NC 20 (today NC 72), in Lumberton. In 1930, it was extended south as a new primary routing to US 17/NC 20 (today NC 214), in Bolton. In 1932, it extended north as a new primary routing to NC 70 (today NC 72), in Red Springs. By 1935, its northern terminus was extended again to Aberdeen, replacing NC 70. In 1940, its third northern extension was made, overlapping with US 15/US 501 through Aberdeen, then replacing NC 2 to its current terminus in Candor.

In the late 1940s, NC 211's route was realigned from Main Street to South Street, in Aberdeen; some of the former routing became part of NC 5. During the early 1950s, NC 211 made a fourth extension north in Candor, replacing US 220 on Pack House Road; this lasted until June, 1963 where it was moved back to its former and current northern terminus.^[2]

In the mid-1950s, NC 211 made the following adjustments: at Eagle Springs, it was placed on new construction bypassing north of the community, its old alignment becoming Eagle Springs Road (SR 1138). In Bolton, it was removed from Old 211 (SR 1805) and extended south on new primary routing to US 17/NC 130, in Supply. And in Lumberton, it was moved onto its current alignment on Roberts Avenue, its old alignment becoming NC 211A (later becoming NC 211 Business).

In 1957, NC 211 was extended south, overlapping with NC 130, into Southport (at Moore Street). Between 1958-1962, various alignment changes were made along the route at Antioch and Seven Lakes. Also around 1961, NC 211 was rerouted with US 15/US 501 between Aberdeen and Pinehurst to the roundabout, then onto new primary routing that avoided central Pinehurst; the old alignment became part of NC 5. In 1969, NC 211 was placed on new routing west of the McCain community, leaving Old NC 211 (SR 1318).^[3]

In 1972, NC 211 was placed on new alignment north between Butters and Bladenboro, the old alignment became secondary road (SR 1134). In 1975, more of NC 211 was placed on new alignment north and east of Bladenboro, its old alignment through town becoming NC 211 Business (which also incorporated the former section displaced in 1972).^[4][5]

Around 1990, NC 211 was extended to its current southern terminus at the Southport Ferry Terminal, after upgrades were made on Moore Street and Ferry Road. On June 6, 2013, NC 211 was extended east over the Cape Fear River, via the Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry, to Fort Fisher and US 421. Justification for the change was to have the highway end at another primary route and to incorporate the ferry route into a marine highway, which will expedite dredging operations in emergency situations.^[6]

Future

A widening project from the traffic circle in Pinehurst to West End has been planned, which includes curbs, gutters, and sidewalks along the upgraded multi-lane highway. Because of streams and wetlands in the area, NCDOT has to work with the US Army Corps of Engineers, which has delayed the environmental impact study. The estimated cost is $31 million. Property acquisition is expected to start February, 2012.^[7]

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
New Hanover	Fort Fisher	0.0	0.0	US 421 – Wilmington	Southern terminus ends at terminal
Brunswick	Cape Fear River	0.1	0.16	Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry
	Southport	7.7	12.4	NC 87 north (River Road) – Wilmington
	​	9.4	15.1	NC 133 (Long Beach Road) – Wilmington, Oak Island, Fort Caswell
	Midway	14.3	23.0	NC 906 (Middleton Boulevard / Midway Road) – Oak Island
	Supply	23.3	37.5	US 17 (Ocean Highway) – Shallotte, Wilmington
Columbus	Bolton	47.7	76.8	NC 214 (Sam Potts Highway) – Lake Waccamaw, Leland, Wilmington
		48.8	78.5	US 74 / US 76 – Whiteville, Wilmington
Bladen	Clarkton	67.6	108.8	US 701 Bus. (College Street)
		67.9	109.3	US 701 (NWR Latham Street) – Whiteville, Elizabethtown
	​	74.7	120.2	NC 211 Bus. north (Martin Luther King Jr Drive) – Bladenboro
	Bladenboro	75.9	122.1	NC 242 (Elizabethtown Road) – Elizabethtown
		76.7	123.4	NC 131 / NC 410 (Main Street) – Dublin, Tarheel
	Butters	80.6	129.7	NC 211 Bus. south (Seaboard Street) – Bladenboro
Robeson	Lumberton	88.8	142.9	NC 72 (Robeson Avenue/Fifth Street) – Lumberton
		90.4	145.5	NC 41 (Elizabethtown Road) – Elizabethtown
		91.1	146.6	Fayetteville Road
		92.0	148.1	I‑95 / US 301 – Fayetteville, Rowland
	Red Springs	107.5	173.0	NC 72 east / NC 710 east (Main Street) – Lumberton, Rowland
		107.6	173.2	NC 71 south (Third Avenue) – Maxton	South end of NC 71 overlap
		108.3	174.3	NC 71 north – Lumber Bridge, Parkton	North end of NC 71 overlap
Hoke	Raeford	119.3	192.0	US 401 Bus. south (Harris Avenue) – Laurinburg	South end of US 401 Business overlap
		119.4	192.2	US 401 Bus. north / NC 20 east (Central Avenue) – Fayetteville, Saint Pauls	North end of US 401 Business overlap
		120.5	193.9	To US 401 / Teal Drive – Laurinburg, Fayetteville
Moore	Aberdeen	136.4	219.5	US 15 south / US 501 south – Laurinburg	South end of US 15/US 501 overlap
		136.7	220.0	US 1 south (Sandhills Boulevard) – Rockingham	South end of US 1 overlap
		136.9	220.3	NC 5 (South Street) – Pinehurst
		138.5	222.9	US 1 north (Sandhills Boulevard) – Sanford	North end of US 1 overlap
	Pinehurst	142.4	229.2	US 15 north / US 501 north / NC 2 (Midland Road) – Southern Pines, Carthage, Pinehurst	Roundabout; north end of US 15/US 501 overlap
		144.5	232.6	NC 5 south (Beulah Hill Road) – Pinehurst, Aberdeen
	West End	150.3	241.9	NC 73 west – Ellerbe	West end of NC 73 overlap
		150.5	242.2	NC 73 east – Carthage	East end of NC 73 overlap
	Eagle Springs	156.0	251.1	NC 705 north – Robbins
Montgomery	Candor	161.5	259.9	I‑73 / I‑74 / US 220 – Asheboro, Rockingham
		162.5	261.5	US 220 Alt. / NC 731 west – Biscoe, Rockingham, Mount Gilead
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Special routes

Lumberton alternate spur

North Carolina Highway 211 Alternate (NC 211A) was established by 1949 as a spur route that connected with US 301 (Pine Street) with mainline NC 211 (Elm Street) along 24th Street. In 1957, the alternate route was decommissioned when NC 211 was bypassed north of Lumberton.

Lumberton alternate route

North Carolina Highway 211 Alternate (NC 211A) was established by 1957 as a renumbering of mainline NC 211 through downtown Lumberton; via Fifth Street, Second Street, Chestnut Street, and Elm Street. In 1960, it was redesignated as NC 211 Business.

Lumberton business loop

North Carolina Highway 211 Business
Location:	Lumberton, North Carolina
Length:	3.4 mi[9] (5.5 km)
Existed:	1960–1971

North Carolina Highway 211 Business (NC 211 Bus) was established in 1960 as a renumbering of NC 211A, which traversed along the old NC 211 route through downtown Lumberton; via Fifth Street, Second Street, Chestnut Street, and Elm Street. On April 1, 1971, the route was decommissioned, reverting all to secondary routes; in 1983, NC 72 was reassigned onto Fifth and Second streets.^[10][11]

Bladenboro business loop

North Carolina Highway 211 Business
Location:	Bladenboro, North Carolina
Length:	5.7 mi[12] (9.2 km)
Existed:	1975–present

North Carolina Highway 211 Business (NC 211 Bus) was established in 1975 as a renumbering of mainline NC 211 through downtown Bladenboro, via Martin Luther King Jr Drive and Seaboard Street.

See also

• North Carolina Bicycle Route 3 - Concurrent with NC 211 from its southern terminus to Supply

References

External links

Route map: Google

• Media related to North Carolina Highway 211 at Wikimedia Commons
• NCRoads.com: N.C. 211