North Carolina Highway 133
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by NCDOT | ||||
Length | 46.6 mi[1] (75.0 km) | |||
Existed | 1961[2][3]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | Oak Island Drive in Oak Island | |||
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North end | NC 210 in Bells Crossroads | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | North Carolina | |||
Counties | Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender | |||
Highway system | ||||
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North Carolina Highway 133 (NC 133) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses 46.6 miles (75.0 km) from Oak Island Drive in Oak Island to NC 210 in Bells Crossroads. The route serves communities such as Southport, Belville, Leland, Wilmington, and Castle Hayne. Additionally, NC 133 serves as an entry point for Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point located to its east. Much of NC 133 runs parallel to the Cape Fear River and Brunswick River between Southport and Belville. West of Wilmington, NC 133 runs concurrently with U.S. Route 17 (US 17), US 74, and US 76. The road follows another concurrency along US 74 and US 421, west of Downtown Wilmington, and crosses into New Hanover County on the Isabel Holmes Bridge. North of Wilmington, NC 133 exits to the north, serving several suburban communities north of Wilmington. NC 133 runs concurrently with US 117 through Castle Hayne, before bearing northwest toward Bells Crossroads.
As early as 1916, portions of NC 133, particularly between its northern terminus and Wilmington were added to the state's highway system as NC 40 and NC 60. The segment later was used for both U.S. Route 421 (US 421) and US 117. The southern portion between Belville and Southport remained unnumbered until 1951 when it was numbered as part of NC 130. In 1957, NC 40 was added as a primary route from NC 210 to Southport, replacing part of US 421 and NC 130. During this time, NC 40 was also extended south from Southport to Oak Island. Due to the establishment of Interstate 40 (I-40) in North Carolina, NC 40 was renumbered as NC 133 in 1961. Since its establishment, the routing around Wilmington has been adjusted, as new expressways have been built.
Route description
NC 133 starts at the intersection of East Oak Island Drive and Country Club Drive near
NC 133 and US 74 exit the freeway at a
History
The routing of modern-day NC 133 was established in 1916 when North Carolina created a highway running from Wilmington, through Castle Hayne and Bells Crossroads, towards Clinton.[6] The section between Bells Crossroads and Castle Hayne became part of NC 60; while the section south of Castle Hayne to Wilmington became part of NC 40.[7] By 1931, US 17-1 ran concurrently with NC 40 along the entire route, including the segment from Wilmington to Castle Hayne.[8] US 117 replaced US 17-1 along the Castle Hayne to Wilmington segment in 1933. The same year, US 421 was extended concurrent with NC 60 from Bells Crossroads to Castle Hayne.[9] US 421 was extended south along US 117 in 1935. This replaced NC 40 to Wilmington, while NC 60 was also removed from the concurrent routing.[10]
Beginning in 1940, an improved road was created from NC 130 (modern-day NC 211) to Oak Island.[11] A 24-mile (39 km) segment between Belville and Southport first appeared on North Carolina maps beginning in 1941 as an unnumbered gravel-topsoil road. South of Liliput Creek, the road followed an eastern route, which ran parallel to the Cape Fear River and followed East Moore Street into Southport.[12] The road was improved from US 17/US 74/US 76 to Orton Plantation in 1948.[13] In 1951, the segment was completely improved, and NC 130 was extended along the road from Southport to Belville.[14] North of Wilmington, US 421 was removed from the routing between Bells Crossroads and Wilmington in 1954. NC 210 was routed along the segment from Bells Crossroads to US 117 north of Castle Hayne.[15]
Location | Oak Island–Bells Crossroads, NC |
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Length | 47.9 mi[16] (77.1 km) |
Existed | 1957–1961 |
The third and final designation of NC 40 was established from Bells Crossroads to Southport in 1957, as a partial renumbering of NC 210 and NC 130. The highway also ran concurrently with US 117 from Castle Hayne to Wilmington, and US 17/US 74/US 76/US 421 west of Wilmington. Following the establishment of Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, NC 40 was rerouted along new routing along the western edge of the installation. It then ran concurrent with NC 87 to Southport.[17] The highway was extended south from Southport to Oak Island in 1960, running concurrently along NC 211 for 1 mile (1.6 km).[18] In 1961, NC 40 was renumbered as NC 133 with the establishment of I-40 in North Carolina.[2][3]
In 1969, the routing of NC 133 was adjusted to its modern route between the Brunswick River and Northeast Cape Fear River. NC 133 ran concurrently with US 17/US 74/US 76 in Brunswick County until reaching US 421 at an interchange. NC 133 then ran concurrently with US 421 north to the Isabel Stellings Holmes Bridge, where it crossed the Northeast Cape Fear River concurrent with US 117. Both highways then followed Front Street and Fourth Street in downtown Wilmington, along with Cornelius Harnett Drive and Castle Hayne Road towards Wrightsboro.[19] In 1978, NC 133 was placed onto the modern-day freeway between Belville and US 421, running concurrently with US 17/US 74/US 76.[20] Between 1980 and 1984, the section of NC 133 running concurrently with US 421 was mulitlaned and adjusted slightly to the west[21][22] NC 133 was removed from its routing along North Front Street, North Fourth Street, Cornelius Harnett Drive, and Castle Hayne Road in 2005.[23] This temporary gap in the route was due to the construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Downtown Wilmington. The route was reestablished in February 2008 via the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.[24]
In 2014, construction began on the 2.2-mile-long (3.5 km) Long Beach Road Extension in Brunswick County which removed NC 133 from a concurrency with NC 211 and shortened its concurrency with NC 87.[25] The project was completed on January 10, 2016.[26] In 2016, construction on a diverging diamond interchange was completed at the US 17/US 74/US 76 interchange in Leland.[27]
Future
The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) has identified three projects to be completed along NC 133 in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties. A widening project along Castle Hayne Road, between US 74 (Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway) and I-140 is planned to begin construction in 2030. The installation of a roundabout at the intersection of NC 133 and 23rd Street is projected to begin right of way acquisitions in 2022, with construction beginning in 2024. Additionally, the WMPO plans for the creation of a flyover interchange at the current intersection between NC 133, US 74, and US 421 west of the Isabel Holmes Bridge. Construction of the flyovers is expected to begin in 2024.[28]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Caswell | |||||
Intracoastal Waterway | 0.3 | 0.48 | G. V. Barbee Bridge | ||
| 3.5 | 5.6 | NC 211 (Southport-Supply Road) – Southport, Supply | ||
| 5.2 | 8.4 | NC 87 south (River Road) – Southport | South end of NC 87 overlap | |
| 6.2 | 10.0 | NC 87 north (George II Highway) – Boiling Spring Lakes | North end of NC 87 overlap | |
Leland | 26.6 | 42.8 | US 17 south / US 74 / US 76 west – Shallotte, Myrtle Beach, Whiteville | South end of US 17 and west end of US 74/US 76 overlap | |
| 28.2 | 45.4 | US 17 north / US 76 east / US 421 south – Wilmington, Carolina Beach | North end of US 17, east end of US 76 and south end of US 421 overlap | |
New Hanover | Cape Fear River | 29.4 | 47.3 | S. Thomas Rhodes Bridge | |
| 30.1 | 48.4 | US 421 north to I-140 – Jacksonville, Clinton | North end of US 421 overlap | |
Northeast Cape Fear River | 30.5 | 49.1 | Isabel Stellings Holmes Bridge | ||
Wilmington | 30.7 | 49.4 | North Third Street – Wilmington Downtown | Interchange | |
31.4 | 50.5 | McRae Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
31.9 | 51.3 | US 74 east (Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway) – Wrightsville Beach | East end of US 74 overlap | ||
| 36.2 | 58.3 | I-140 – Jacksonville, Shallotte, Myrtle Beach | I-140 exit 17 | |
Castle Hayne | 38.8 | 62.4 | US 117 / NC 132 south – Carolina Beach | South end of US 117 overlap | |
Pender | | 41.7 | 67.1 | US 117 north – Burgaw | North end of US 117 overlap |
Bells Crossroads | 46.6 | 75.0 | NC 210 – Elizabethtown, Rocky Point | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c d Google (February 14, 2016). "North Carolina Highway 133" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ^ a b North Carolina highway system (Map) (1961 ed.). Cartography by William L. Hobbs. Raleigh: North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1961.
- ^ a b North Carolina system (Map) (1961 ed.). Cartography by William L. Hobbs. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1961.
- ^ "Marker: D-24 – Robert Howe". North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program. North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ^ "NC 5–Cape Fear Run". North Carolina Bike Routes Beta. Walk Bike North Carolina Bicycle Routes. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Highway map of North Carolina prepared by the North Carolina State Highway Commission for the five year federal aid program (Map) (1916 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1916.
- ^ The State Highway System of North Carolina. Office of Senior Highway Engineer. Edition of June 1st 1924 (Map) (1924 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1924.
- ^ State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1931 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1931.
- ^ State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1933 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1933.
- ^ State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1935 ed.). Cartography by C.M. Sawyer & W.W. Hampton. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1935.
- ^ North Carolina primary highway system (Map) (1940 ed.). Cartography by C.M. Sawyer. North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. 1940.
- ^ North Carolina primary highway system (Map) (1941 ed.). Cartography by C.M. Sawyer. North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. 1941.
- ^ North Carolina primary highway system (Map) (1948 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Winston Ptg. Co. 1948.
- ^ North Carolina primary highway system (Map) (1951 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Winston Ptg. Co. 1951.
- ^ North Carolina primary highway system (Map) (1954 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Winston Ptg. Co. 1954.
- ^ Google (June 28, 2014). "North Carolina Highway 40" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
- ^ North Carolina Official Highway Map (Map) (1957 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Winston Ptg. Co. 1957.
- ^ North Carolina highway system (PDF) (Map) (1960 ed.). North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1960.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (1969-09-11)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. September 11, 1969. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (1978-01-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. January 1, 1978. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (1980-06-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. June 1, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (1984-12-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. December 1, 1984. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (2005-12-30)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. December 30, 2005. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "NC 133 Route Change (2008-02-05)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. February 5, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ Gonzales, Jason (June 19, 2014). "Land near St. James being cleared for Long Beach Road project". Star-News. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Hinnant, Lee (January 14, 2016). "Long Beach Road Extension open: some first-day confusion, but traffic flowing smoothly". The State Port Pilot. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "Diverging Diamond Interchange on N.C. 133 in Brunswick Co. Opens to Traffic April 18". North Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "Roadway Projects". Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
External links
- Media related to North Carolina Highway 133 at Wikimedia Commons
- NCRoads.com: N.C. 40
- NCRoads.com: N.C. 133