U.S. 117
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Photo: US 117 ending at the NC Port in Wilmington (Mapmikey)
| U.S. 117 84 miles | |||
| The Road: | Begins at River Rd at the NC State Ports Authority in Wilmington (New Hanover County) and ends at US 301 south of Wilson (Wilson County). | Towns and Attractions: | New Hanover Co.: Port Authority, Wilmington, Castle Hayne
Pender Co.: Burgaw Duplin Co.: Wallace, Rose Hill, Magnolia, Warsaw, Faison Wayne Co.: Mount Olive, Goldsboro, Fremont Wilson Co.: None |
History: |
Current US 117 was born in 1932, replacing US 17-1/NC 40 from US 301 near Wilson south to Wilmington.
Additionally, US 117 was added to NC 30 southwest to South Carolina via Shalotte on its way to Myrtle Beach and Conway, SC.
US 117 followed today's US 17 from the South Carolina line north to the Brunswick River except it used US 17 Business routes in Shalotte and Bolivia, plus SR 1701 Zion Church Rd in the Town Creek area and SR 1551 Blackwell Rd and a closed causeway in Belleville. US 117 followed today's NC 133 past the USS North Carolina and across the Cape Fear River, then used Parsely St to Nixon St east to McRae St. to leave the Wilmington area (none of these streets US 117 originally used in Wilmington is primary highway now). US 117 proceeded north on Castle Hayne Rd. At Castle Hayne US 117 used Old Bridge Site Rd to cross the NE Cape Fear River. US 117 followed current US 117 and US 117 Business to Burgaw and Wallace. Then US 117 followed NC 11 to Kenansville and NC 50 back to today's US 117 Warsaw north to Faison and Calypso. US 117 picked us today's US 117-A into Mt. Olive. US 117 followed today's US 117 Bus through Goldsboro, then US 117 through Pikeville and Fremont. US 117 used Great Swamp Loop and Banana Loops and US 117 ended at today's Dixie Inn Rd which was US 301 at the time. Between 1931-36, US 117 was rerouted in Goldsboro to use Chestnut St and Center St to go from George St to Ash St. The direct George to Ash routing became NC 102-A (now part of US 117 Business). In late 1934, US 117 south was truncated to Wilmington, as US 17 was placed on the route through Shalotte to South Carolina. US 117's south end was either Nixon and Parsley or 3rd at Market. I think it was 3rd and Market but maps do not explicitly show this until the 1957 New Hanover County map.
 1935 Official Between 1939-44, US 117 was removed from Great Swamp Loop and Banana Loop north of Fremont. In 1940, US 117 was rerouted to run directly from wallace to Warsaw as new primary routing. The old route became NC 24 to Kenansville, then the short NC 11-A cutoff (now SR 1383), then NC 11 south to Wallace/Tin City area.
Between 1950-52, US 117 was taken off SR 1340 Old Bridge Site Rd in Castle Hayne. About 1952, US 117 was given its bypass of Goldsboro, leaving behind US 117-A (now US 117 Business).
Between 1950-53, US 117 north was extended from Dixie Inn Rd to the rerouted US 301.
About 1953, US 117 was given its bypass of Burgaw, leaving behind US 117-A (now US 117 Business).
In 1960, US 117 was given its bypass of Mount Olive and Calypso, leaving behind US 117 Business (now US 117-A). In 1969, US 117 south was rerouted away from downtown Wilmington and instead crossed the Cape Fear west to end at US 421 north of the USS North Carolina Battleship. In August 1973 (NCDOT), US 117's south end was moved northward along US 421 by using then-SR 2026 at the west end of the Northeast Cape Fear River bridge. In 1989, US 117 received its bypass of Dudley, leaving behind US 117-A.
In March 2003 (NCDOT), US 117 south was rerouted at Castle Hayne to instead follow NC 132 to East Wilmington, then replaced SR 1101 Shipyard Rd west to the NC Port Authority. The old route over to US 421 remained part of NC 133 (some of this is now just city streets).
In Feb 2003 (NCDOT), US 117 north was changed to cut west to US 301 just after Dixie Inn Rd, then extended north with US 301, then extended west along the new US 264 freeway before ending at I-95. In Sept 2006 (NCDOT), US 117 was placed onto new freeway between Goldsboro and US 264. The old route became US 117-A. In April 2009 (NCDOT), US 117 was removed from the freeway routings from Goldsboro to I-95 and replaced by I-795. US 117 then replaced US 117-A from US 301 south through Fremont to Goldsboro.
The 1st US 117 in North Carolina was an original US Highway. It began at US 1 Norlina, then used US 158 Business through Warrenton. US 117 picked up SR 1318 Old Macon Hwy through Macon and Vaughn and this road stayed north of the railroad all the way to Littleton (no road east of Vaughn anymore) entering on North Main St.
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Comments: | US 117 has been usurped by I-795 and I-40 for much of its run and is not all that useful as a through route anymore. |
