U.S. 23
< 21-W | Home | 23-A | 23 Bus | 25 >
Photo: US 23 entering North Carolina from Georgia (Mark Clifton)
| U.S. 23 120 miles | |||
| The Road: | Enters from Georgia below Otto (Macon County) and leaves into Tennessee at Sams Gap (Madison County). Nationally the road runs from US 17 Jacksonville, FL to I-75 Mackinaw City, MI | Towns and Attractions: | Macon Co.: Franklin
Jackson Co.: Dillsboro, Sylva Haywood Co.: Blue Ridge Pkwy, Hazelwood, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Clyde, Canton Buncombe Co.: Enka, West Asheville, Asheville, Weaverville Madison Co.: Pisgah Nat'l Forest |
History: |
US 23 is an original US Highway that did not come onto North Carolina's radar until October 1929 (AASHO), when North Carolina agreed to join Kentucky in extending US 23 south to Asheville.
In May 1930 (AASHO), Georgia wanted to extend US 23 further, from Asheville to Atlanta. Because Georgia was going to reroute US 19 to avoid a long US 23 overlay there, AASHO wanted to swap US 19 and US 23 south of Sylva so that 23 would be west of 19. After months of vigorous protests from towns along US 19 and NC itself. AASHO relented in July 1930 on allowing US 23 to remain east of US 19. US 23 attached itself to NC 285 from Georgia to Dillsboro; US 19 Dillsboro to Asheville and Cane River to Tennessee via US 19W. US 23 entered from Georgia below Otto and headed up today's US 23-441 to Franklin, except it used the "Old US 23" loop near the state line and a longer "Old US 23" in the Union area. It used US 441 business through Franklin. Leaving Franklin, US 23 followed today's route except used SR 1331 Brendle Rd. US 23 then followed NC 116, then SR 1360 Old Franklin Rd, then US 23-441 across the river, then Webster St to Dillsboro. US 23 then followed US 23 Business through Sylva.
Between 1939-44, US 23 was rerouted in Waynesville to use US 276 Russ St to Walnut St back to US 23 Bus. The old Main St routing became US 19A-23A.
Around 1949, US 23 was placed on a bypass of West Asheville to its current route on Patton Ave. The old route became US 19A-23A (some is still US 19 Bus-23 Bus). In 1951 (AASHO), US 23 was removed from US 19 and US 19-W from Mars Hill to Tennessee and instead replaced NC 36 from Mars Hill to Tennessee at Sams Gap. Note that today's "Old US 23" in the Faust area was bypassed by 1944 while the route was still NC 36.
About 1954, US 23 was placed on its current routing from Lake Junaluska through Clyde and Canton. Also it was removed from SR 1600 near Buncombe County. The old route became all secondary except NC 209 absorbed about a half-mile of it.
US 19-23 on Old Clyde Rd 1949 Haywood County
US 19-23 moved to current routing 1957 Haywood County
Between 1958-62, US 23 was placed on one-way splits through Sylva. NB used Main St and SB used Mill St. About 1962 (bridge date), US 23 was placed on one-way splits through Canton, with SB using Park St and NB using a new Pigeon River Bridge onto Main St.
In September 1967 (NCDOT), US 19-23 was placed on new freeway to bypass Weaverville, leaving behind only US 19 Business. In February 1972 (NCDOT), US 23 was removed from Merrimon St (remained US 25) and placed on its current freeway leaving Asheville. In March 1974 (NCDOT), US 23 was placed on its bypass of Franklin, leaving behind only US 441 Business for some reason.
In September 1974 (NCDOT), US 23 was given its bypass of Sylva and Dillsboro, leaving behind US 23 Business and unnumbered Walnut St.
In October 1975 (NCDOT), US 23 was placed on more freeway from Weaverville to Mars Hill leaving behind SR 2207 Old Mars Hill Hwy, SR 1610 Forks of Ivy Rd, and also snippets of SR 1605 Calvin Edney Rd and SR 1606 Crossroads Pkwy (the freeway was built on top of swaths of the US 19-23 alignment).
In December 2005 (NCDOT), US 23 was moved onto the recently completed I-26 up to Sams Gap. The old route became US 23-A and Sams Gap Rd.
|
Comments: |
US 23 is now duplexed with another route everywhere it runs in North Carolina. This is also true in 99% of Tennessee
South of Lake Junaluska, US 23 is still a major corridor and a good way to get to the Atlanta area from Western N.C. US 23 is all multilane except from Canton to Enka, which is the only 2-lane stretch of US 23 left between the Atlanta area and northern Ohio. |
Last Update: 15 March 2025
Previous: U.S. 21-W |
Next: U.S. 23-A | U.S. 23 Bus | U.S. 25
Top | NCRoads.com
Home