Interstate 42 (I-42) is a proposed Interstate Highway that would run 142 miles (229 km), following the U.S. Route 70 (US 70) corridor from US 401 near Garner south of Raleigh to I-101 in Morehead City at the Atlantic Coast seaboard in the U.S. state of North Carolina. I-42 would also extend west to Interstate 40 (I-40) in Raleigh, North Carolina, and east to Atlantic, North Carolina at Interstate 101 (I-101).
Route description[]
I-42's western terminus would be south of downtown Raleigh at I-40 as it extends westward (northward) from the earlier proposed western terminus at the interchange with US 401. US 70 and US 401 would run concurrent with I-42. The future I-42 Interstate heads east to Garner as US 401 cuts off US 70 and I-42 itself. Next it comes to another interchange at I-40. I-40 and I-42 overlaps each other until they cut off at another interchange. I-40 heads southward while I-42 head eastward, both of them entering from Wake County to Johnston County. Next interchange is at US 301 in Selma and another one at I-95. Future I-42 enters into Wayne County. as then it starts a split at US 70 Bypass, which bypasses Goldsboro. Once I-42 is completed, it would have its own bypass auxiliary route, I-242. Future I-42 intersects at I-795 northwest of Goldsboro before heading to another intersection at US 13 and US 117. Future I-42 overlaps with US 13 and US 117 in parts of the city. US 117 cuts off and heads north to its terminus at US 70 Bypass (Future I-242). East of Goldsboro, US 13 cuts off and heads northeast while I-42 continues by heading southeast as it crosses the county line into Lenoir County before it meets the end of US 70 Bypass (Future I-242) southwest of La Grange. After I-42 passes south of La Grange at the interchange with North Carolina Highway 903 (NC 903), it heads eastward to get to the next interchange at NC 148 northeast of Falling Creek. Future I-42 then heads to the city of Kinston, where US 258 overlaps the future Interstate west of Kinston to south of Kinston at the intersection with NC 58 as US 258 cuts off to the south leading to Jackson Heights. Future I-42 enters Jones County and parallels the Craven County county line as then it immediately crosses that line before the intersection with NC 41 near Cove City. Future I-42 next joins US 17 to New Bern. At southeast of that city, at a half-cloverleaf interchange, Future I-42 and US 17 splits as US 17 heads north after crossing the mouth river of Pamlico Sound and Future I-42 heads south.to James City. Future I-42 travels through Croatan National Forest as it intersects at NC 101 in Havelock. I-42 crosses the line into Carteret County. It curves smoothly to the east heading to I-101 and to Morehead City, the proposed eastern terminus. I-42 would extend to the east to make its way to the seaboard. Throughout Morehead City at the Atlantic Coast, I-42 and I-101 would start overlapping as they would pass Michael J. Smith Field air force near Beaufort. I-42 and I-101 continue again as they head pass Smyrna, Davis, Stacy, then I-101 splits off the overlap at NC 12 continuing north and I-42 head to Sea Level and its final journey as it would reach its extended eastern terminus in Atlantic at I-101.
Planning[]
The FAST Act added the US 70 corridor between Garner and Morehead City, North Carolina, to the Interstate system by defining it as, first, High Priority Corridor #82, and subsequently designating it as a future Interstate. The Regional Transportation Alliance expected this corridor to be called Interstate 46 or another suitable designation. At a meeting in La Grange, North Carolina, on March 17, 2016, the Super 70 Corridor Commission recommended that the designation of Interstate 50 be sought for the US 70 Interstate corridor. The rationale for the I-50 numerical selection was cited as a number not in conflict with either an existing Interstate designation or currently applied to a U.S. Highway within North Carolina. This recommendation was forwarded to NCDOT for submission to AASHTO.
The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), signed by President Obama on December 14, 2015, added the US 70 corridor between Garner and Morehead City to the Interstate system as a future Interstate. Justification for the designation included better connections with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the North Carolina Global Transpark, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and the Port of Morehead City with the rest of the state and the eastern seaboard. With no specified number codified in the act, the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) expected this corridor to be called I-46 or another suitable designation, and the US Highway 70 Corridor Commission recommended I-50. On March 30, 2016, Governor Pat McCrory and various officials unveiled "Future Interstate" signage along the corridor.
For the AASHTO Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering meeting in May 2016, NCDOT proposed Interstate 36 for this route. However, AASHTO instead designated the route as Interstate 42.
