| N.C.
191 24 miles |
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| The Road: |
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Begins at US 25 Bus Hendersonville (Henderson County) and ends at US 19 Bus/US 23 Bus W. Asheville (Buncombe County)
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Towns and Attractions: |
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Henderson Co: Hendersonville
Buncombe Co: Blue Ridge Pkwy, NC State Arboretum, W. Asheville
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History: |
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NC 191 is an original state highway, that initially ran from NC 19 (now NC 108) Tryon over to NC 29 (now NC 225) Flat Rock via US 176, Roper Rd, and Blue Ridge Rd.
In 1925, NC 191 was rerouted to end at NC 29 at Tuxedo via US 176 and SR 1852 S. Lake Summit Rd.
NC 191 original routing
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NC 191 shifted to Tuxedo
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In 1926, NC 191 was rerouted to use US 176 over the new Green River bridge and US 25 Bus and SR 1820l oop in E. Flat Rock, plus both Old Spartanburg Rd segments before ending at Main St (then NC 29).
In late 1926, US 176 was added to the entirety of NC 191.
About 1929, US 176/NC 191 was removed from Pearson Falls Rd between Saluda and Melrose.
In 1932, NC 191 was extended north with US 25, then northwest as new primary routing through Mills River, then duplexed with existing NC 280, then more new primary routing to end where it does now at US 19-23 W. Asheville.
NC 191 rerouted to Hendersonville
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NC 191 extended to W. Asheville
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In late 1934, NC 191 south was truncated to its current end in Hendersonville, leaving behind a bit of US 25 and all of US 176.
In 1940, NC 191 was extended northeast with US 19-23 into Asheville via Haywood St across the French Broad River to Jefferson Dr to Patton Dr, then duplexed with NC 63 up Broadway Ave, then replaced NC 630 to end at US 25-70 (now SR 1839 Heavner Rd) above Woodfin.
NC 630 north of Asheville
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NC 630 becomes NC 191
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Around 1949, NC 191 was rerouted in West Asheville to leave Haywood St north on Hanover St (this is I-240's path now) to the new US 19-23 routing on Patton Ave across the French Broad River. The old route became US 19A-23A (now US 19 Bus-23 Bus west of I-240 and unnumbered east of it).
NC 191 (not labeled) on Haywood Rd
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NC 191 moved onto Hanover St.
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Between 1949-53, NC 191 was rebuilt in a few places from just below NC 112 northward, leaving behind several small loops (only SR 3481 below NC 112 remains).
Between 1953-57, NC 191 was removed from SR 1310 "Old NC 191" south of Mills River.
In 1961, NC 191 was removed from Broadway and instead left US 19-23 on Hall St to Riverside Dr. Broadway became SR 1781.
NC 191 using Broadway
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NC 191 using Hall to Riverside
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In 1971, NC 191 was placed on today's I-240 from Brevard Rd to Haywood Rd. The freeway was shown as unnumbered on the 1969 and 1970 Officials. Brevard Rd became unnumbered north of the freeway.
unnumbered freeway below Hauwood
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NC 191 placed on more freeway
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About 1981, NC 191 north was truncated/moved back onto Brevard Rd to end at US 19 Bus-23 Bus in West Asheville. The freeway became I-240 and Riverside Dr became NC 251 (now unnumbered below Broadway).
NC 191 hugging the French Broad
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NC 251 moves in
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Comment: |
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NC 191 once served as a backdoor corridor from Hendersonville to Asheville but has been made toothless by the completion of I-26.
Well into the late 80s one could see the backside of a NC 191 cutout (and a TO US 70 cutout) that was covered over by a modern I-240 shield.
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