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| Towns and Attractions: | Lumberton, Fayetteville, Benson, Smithfield, Selma, Rocky Mount, Roanoake Rapids | ||
| History: | By 1961, I-95 was completed from Fayetteville (south of mile
56) to U.S. 301 near Kenly (exit 107). South of today's exit 56, I-95 entered
Fayetteville on today's Green 95, which was (and is) also U.S. 301. A short
stretch was also opened around Saint Pauls (vicinity of exit 31).
By 1964, a short stretch of 95 opened from U.S. 158 near Roanoake Rapids (exit 173) north into Virginia. Also, the Saint Pauls stretch was extended south to Lumberton. By 1969, I-95 was open from exit 145 (today's N.C.4) all the way north to the Virginia line, and by 1973, the Interstate was open from Saint Pauls all the way to the South Carolina line. The two Green 95s -- one through Fayetteville, the other through Wilson and Rocky Mount -- were probably first signed as such in the mid-1970s, evidently so that some sort of "95" could be followed through the whole state. The "real" Interstate from Kenly to Battleboro (exits 107 to 145) was completed by 1979. The final section of I-95 to open, between exits 40 and 56 around Fayetteville, did so in the early 1980s. This was probably the most recent stretch of I-95 to open in the country. Several proposed parts of I-95 never happened (through Boston and Washington, for example), and we're still waiting for that missing link in New Jersey. |
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| Comments: | In the North, I-95 is a modern-day Main Street, linking all
the North's major cities and causing countless headaches for millions of
commuters. In North Carolina, however, I-95 has a completely different
character: far more rural, and relatively much more of a long-distance
route to other states. In this state, and in much of the South, it's I-85
that behaves like I-95 does up North.
While 95 is quite homogenous throughout the state, the author doesn't consider it a "boring Interstate" at all, especially after traveling some of the roads Illinois has to offer. Most of it runs through thick forests with ubiquitous wildflower plantings along the right-of-way courtesy of NCDOT. Most of I-95 now has a 70-mph speed limit. One notable exception is an utterly unredeeming 55-mph stretch around Lumberton. The South of the Border tourist trap, located just over the line in South Carolina (hence the name), is accessed by exiting in N.C. (U.S. 301/501, Exit 1). |
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| Green 95 15 miles | |||
| The Road: | Starts at I-95 exit 40. Ends at I-95 exit 56. Goes through Fayetteville.
Four lanes divided throughout. Freewaylike in some places. |
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| History: | Has been signed as Green 95 since at least 1979, and probably a few years earlier. For many years, Green 95 was the best connection between disjoint sections of I-95 north and south of Fayetteville. When the Interstate was completed to the west in the early 1980s, the Green 95 designation became superfluous. | ||
| Comments: | Contains several cross-streets and traffic lights. This makes
it North Carolina's wimpiest Green Interstate, which is akin to being the
least-talented Spice Girl.
Signed along U.S. 301 for its entirety, except for a short connector at its northern terminus. No evidence suggests that this road was ever signed as I-95 or Temporary 95 (a la Green 85) |
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Ideas:
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Quit calling it Green 95. U.S. 301 suffices. | ||
| Green 95 dead | |||
| Formerly: | Ran between Exits 107 and 145
of I-95 in the 1970s and 1980s. Was signed over U.S. 301 and what is now
part of N.C. 4. The N.C. 4 stretch was built in the late 1960s expressly
to connect 301 (which was already four lanes) with the open stretch of
I-95 north to Virginia.
The corresponding stretch of I-95 was finished
by 1979, but maps as recent as 1986 indicate Green 95. It was gone by 1988.
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