Parked on the future US 421 SB C-D road above US 1/15/501/NC 87, looking northwest at the currently unoccupied C-D road and mainline, then rotating to the southeast and showing them again. NCDOT stripes only where necessary.


Down the C-D road and merging into the mainline of the currently unnumbered Sanford Bypass, past the closed-off and unsigned future exit from US 421 SB to US 1 NB. It's frustrating that there is barely a mile on either end needed to connect the bypass to US 421 and get it numbered (and get traffic out of Sanford), but there is no construction activity.


While the bypass is unnumbered and mostly unsigned, at least it has exit numbers - US 1/15/501 is Exit 149 and here at NC 42 is Exit 144. Wooden barricades are used to close off the stub in the direction of travel and a row of drums is sufficient to dissuade NB traffic from U-turning and taking photos (or doing drugs... if everyone took photos instead of doing drugs, no one would worry about closing off stubs).


Looking northwest in the SB lanes.


Forced down the SB Exit 144 offramp to NC 42, which runs next to the future onramp and has a view of the overpass that will carry the US 421 freeway.


Onto future US 421 NB, next to the as-yet unused Exit 144 offramp.


Back north to US 1/15/501/NC 87 and forced onto the C-D road because the mainline turns into a stub, with a TO US 421 helper sign to get people from the future route to the current route.


NB joining an already crowded multiplex in Greensboro courtesy Lou Corsaro. NCDOT should really revisit sticking all those US highways on the freeway - even now that I-40 has been rerouted so that there isn't an Interstate/Business route duplex. At least here what's no longer I-40 gets a state-name shield. Sadly, if it's not gone already, since it's incorrect it will be going any day now.


Reynolda Rd. WB in the eponymous northwestern neighborhood of Winston-Salem, courtesy Lou Corsaro. It's old US 421 NB.

SB button copy, once more from Lou.


SB on the business route in Wilkesboro, twisting and turning from D St. to 6th St. to B St., joining and then leaving NC 18/268, and then NC 115 begins along Business 421. All the time with narrow shields.


NB (facing west) and southward-facing scenery at Deep Gap. The path of the road in the first photo is the Deep Gap itself.

The next 9 photos, through the old bridge, are courtesy Lou Corsaro.


This old signage on old US 421 still shows it as the current route at Archie Carroll Rd. east of Boone. Now, US 221 also follows (modern) 421 in this area.


SB leaving the great town of Deep Gap.


Built in 1930, still open to traffic today, on an old alignment of US 421 east of Deep Gap.


Well, which bridge is it, Ravine or Wade Harris?


Well, it's open to traffic if you're the one lucky homeowner with the fantastic view of an Appalachian ravine or one of his lucky guests. These are looking NB and SB on the old alignment.


Two SB (really eastward) facing views of the bridge. The old alignment disappears after it reaches the house.


The last of my own photos, US 421 NB leaves US 221 only to come to another x21 sibling moments later. Now, back to Lou Corsaro's last two photos.


I can't tell if these wrong-way multiplex shields are old or just wrong. The fonts manage to be different on each shield.


White guide sign survives the test of time because it's no longer on a state highway (well, a primary one, anyway). This is on Old US 421 northwest of the 321-421 split (which I just skipped - see the big link below).

US 17 and US 421/17
Onto I-40 and US 421/I-40
Onto US 321 and US 421/321

Into Tennessee on US 421
Onto US 501 and US 1/15/501/NC 87
Onto US 15 and US 15/501/NC 87
Onto US 1 alone
Onto NC 87 alone
Onto NC 42
Onto US 29
Onto US 70
Onto US 220
Onto Business I-85
Onto NC 115
Onto US 221
Onto US 74
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