Skip to main content

US 64 Bypass in Asheboro, NC Now Open

Prior to COVID, my family and I would go to the North Carolina Zoo pretty much every month or so.  One of the time-consuming parts of the drive was the traffic lights and traffic on Dixie Drive (US 64) in Asheboro, which would easily add a few extra minutes and near misses to our drive.

This would all change on December 18, 2020, when a new 14.4-mile freeway carrying US 64 and bypassing Dixie Drive to the south opened.  The Asheboro Bypass, decades in the making, and the 1.7-mile Zoo Connector will make traffic to the Zoo and also through and around Asheboro better.

On December 22nd, on an unrelated trip, I was able to travel the new bypass and take a number of photos.  All of the photos are going west on US 64.  For my entire flickr set, head here.

Approaching the eastern terminus of the Asheboro Bypass.  What is interesting is that the old route - now Business US 64 - continues straight while the bypass loops around and over the highway.  

The overpass in the background is what carries the new bypass over Business 64. 

The NC 42 interchange.

What most likely will be the most used interchange on the bypass.  The Zoo Connector leads directly to the entrance of the North Carolina Zoo which is one of the most popular tourist attractions within the state.

The next three photos are from the new bypass' interchange with Interstates 73/74 and US 220.




The interchange with NC 49 will also be heavily used as NC 49 and US 64 is a regularly used alternative between Raleigh and Charlotte.  The Asheboro Bypass will improve the travel time using this route by eliminating numerous traffic lights.

The western terminus of the Asheboro Bypass.  The highway reduces to two lanes just beyond the curve.  US 64 continues west towards I-85 and Lexington at this point.

Needless to say, this will be a great time saver for our trips to the Zoo or even to Raleigh.  The road is a nice easy drive; hopefully, we can get back to the Zoo soon!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains

US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico passes through the Guadalupe Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise the highest peaks of Texas which are largely protected as part Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  The automotive highway through the Guadalupe Mountains was constructed in the late 1920s as part of Texas State Road 54.  US Route 62 was extended from Carlsbad through the Guadalupe Mountains to El Paso during 1932.  US Route 62 was joined in the Guadalupe Mountains by US Route 180 in 1943.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise a portion of the 130 mile "No Services" zone on US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso-Carlsbad. Part 1; the history of US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains The Guadalupe Mountains lie within the states of Texas and New Mexico.  The Guadalupe Mountains essentially is a southern extension of the larger Rocky Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains is the highest range in Texas with the peak elevati

Paper Highways; unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz

This edition of Paper Highways examines the unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz. The History of Unbuilt California State Route 100 The route that became CA 100 was added to the State Inventory in 1959 as part of the Freeway & Expressway System as Legislative Route 287 .  According to CAhighways.org the initial definition of LRN 287 had it begin at LRN 5 (CA 17) and was defined over the below alignment to LRN 56 (CA 1) through downtown Santa Cruz. -  Ocean Street -  2nd Street -  Chestnut Street For context the above alignment would required tearing down a large part of the densely populated Santa Cruz.  A modern Google imagine immediately reveals how crazy an alignment following Ocean Street, 2nd Street, and Chestnut Street would have been. LRN 287 first appears on the 1960 Division of Highways State Map . In 1961 the definition of LRN 287 was generalized to; from LRN 5 via the beach area in Santa Cruz to LRN 56 west of the San Lorenzo River. 

New Mexico State Road 7 (Carlsbad Caverns Highway)

New Mexico State Road 7 is approximately a seven-mile highway in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. New Mexico State Road 7 connects US Route 62/US Route 180 at Whites City to the visitor center of Carlsbad Caverns National Park via Walnut Canyon. The so-called Carlsbad Caverns Highway to the National Park visitor center complex was constructed following the designation of the namesake National Monument in 1923. The current iteration of New Mexico State Road 7 was designated by the New Mexico State Highway Commission during June 1929. A proposal once was once floated to connect New Mexico State Road 7 to a cavern drive which would have been blasted into Big Room. Part 1; the history of New Mexico State Road 7 What are now Carlsbad Caverns was explored in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County by local Jim White during 1898.  White explored the caverns via a homemade ladder and named several of the more notable rooms.  The name "Carlsbad Caverns" was derived from the