North Carolina Highway 581

North Carolina Highway 581 (NC 581) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The highway travels from Goldsboro to Louisburg, connecting various rural communities in between.

North Carolina Highway 581 marker

North Carolina Highway 581

Route of NC 581 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length72.1 mi[1] (116.0 km)
Existed1933–present
Major junctions
South end NC 111 in Goldsboro
Major intersections
North end US 401 / NC 39 / NC 56 in Louisburg
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesWayne, Wilson, Nash, Franklin
Highway system
NC 561 US 601

Route description

Dedicated and memorial names

Clifton L. Benson Highway sign as seen along the NC 56/NC 581 concurrency

NC 581 feature two dedicated stretches of highway:

  • George Washington Finch Bridge – Official name of the NC 581 overpass of US 264 in Nash County (approved: September 8, 1978).[2]
  • Clifton L Benson Highway – Official name of NC 56/NC 581 from Mapleville to Louisburg (approved: December 7, 1972).[2]

History

Established in 1933 as a new primary routing, NC 581 originally traversed from US 264/NC 91 in Bailey, north to US 64/NC 90 in Spring Hope. In 1937, NC 581 was extended south on new primary routing to US 301 near Lucama. By 1941, NC 581 was also extended north on new primary routing to NC 56 in Mapleville.

By 1950, NC 581 extended again on new primary routing south to US 70, then east replacing NC 111, ending at US 70 Business and US 117 Business in downtown Goldsboro. In 1982, NC 581 was extended north from Mapleville, concurrency overlapped with NC 56, to its current northern terminus in Louisburg.[3]

In 1998, NC 581 was removed from downtown Goldsboro and redirected south along US 13/US 117, from Ash Street to Arrington Bridge Road, then southeast to its current southern terminus with NC 111. In 2008, NC 581 was realigned onto new freeway extension with US 117, removing it from part of Ash Street and overlap with US 13/US 117 Alternate; a year later US 117 would revert to its former route, leaving NC 581 on the new freeway segment.[4][5]

In 2015, NC 581 was rerouted in Bailey, following along the truck route along Main, Benson and Deans Streets; the one block of Sanford Street became SR 1186 and is restricted to all thru trucks with a load limit exceeding 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg). The justification for the route change was because of the railroad underpass with a 8.6 feet (2.6 m) vertical clearance. Nine crashes, including a school activity bus, happened between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2013; also, representatives from Carolina and Northwestern Railroad indicated that they would not allow a widening of the underpass.[6]

Junction list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
WayneGoldsboro0.00.0 NC 111 Beulaville, Goldsboro
6.09.7

US 13 south / US 117 south
South end of US 13/US 117 overlap
6.911.1

US 117 Bus. north (George Street)
Southern terminus of US 117 Bus.
8.413.5

US 13 north / US 117 north Kinston, Greenville
North end of US 13/US 117 overlap
8.914.3

To I-795 north (NC 581 Conn.) Wilson
Southern terminus of NC 581 Conn.
14.623.5 US 70 Goldsboro, Smithfield, Raleigh
15.124.3
US 70 Byp.
Exit 351 (US 70 Bypass)
24.739.8 NC 222 Fremont, Kenly
WilsonKirbys Crossing29.848.0 US 301 Wilson, Kenly
Buckhorn Crossroads34.755.8 NC 42 Wilson, Clayton
NashBailey42.568.4

US 264 Alt. east (Deans Street) / Benson Street Wilson
South end of US 264 Alt. concurrency
42.768.7

US 264 Alt. west (Deans Street) / Sanford Street Middlesex
North end of US 264 Alt. concurrency
43.269.5 US 264 Wilson, RaleighExit 30 (US 264)
Floods Chapel48.978.7 NC 97 Rocky Mount, Zebulon
53.886.6 US 64 Rocky Mount, RaleighInterchange
Spring Hope55.188.7

US 64 Alt. west (Nash Street) Zebulon
West end of US 64 Alt. overlap
55.689.5

US 64 Alt. east (Nash Street) Nashville
East end of US 64 Alt. overlap
FranklinMapleville67.8109.1
NC 56 east Castalia, Rocky Mount
South end of NC 56 overlap
Louisburg72.1116.0
US 401 / NC 39 / NC 56 west Henderson, Raleigh
North end of NC 56 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

Goldsboro connector

Connector plate.svg

North Carolina Highway 581 Connector marker

North Carolina Highway 581 Connector

LocationGoldsboro, North Carolina
Length0.6 mi[7] (970 m)
Existed2009–present

North Carolina Highway 581 Connector (NC 581 Conn.) was established in 2009 as a renumbering of US 117 along a 0.6-mile (0.97 km) of freeway, connecting I-795 at Grantham Street (US 70) and NC 581 at Ash Street.[8] Identified only on official state maps, the route is only marked as either "TO I-795" or "TO US 117."

Bailey truck route

Truck plate.svg

North Carolina Highway 581 Truck marker

North Carolina Highway 581 Truck

LocationBailey, North Carolina
Length0.4 mi[9] (640 m)

North Carolina Highway 581 Truck (NC 581 Truck) was a detour for all trucks and vehicles that are 8.6 feet (2.6 m) or taller. The route avoids a low railroad overpass bridge on NC 581; travelers who took the route would traverse along Main, Benson and Deans Street (US 264 Alt.) in Bailey. On August 12, 2015, the truck route was eliminated in favor of rerouting NC 581 along said route.[6]

References

  1. Google (May 21, 2016). "North Carolina Highway 581" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  2. "North Carolina Memorial Highways and other Named Facilities" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. July 15, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  3. "NC 581 Route Change (1982-11-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. November 1, 1982. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  4. "NC 581 Route Change (1998-01-30)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. January 30, 1998. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  5. "NC 581 Route Change (2006-09-07)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. September 7, 2006. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  6. "Route Change (2015-08-12)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. August 12, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  7. Google (June 17, 2013). "NC 581 Connector - Goldsboro" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  8. "NC 581 Route Change (2009-04-22)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. April 22, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  9. Google (June 17, 2013). "Former NC 581 Truck - Bailey" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
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