North Carolina Highway 615 Explained

State:NC
Type:NC
Route:615
Map:NC 615 map.svg
Length Mi:14.9
Direction A:South
Direction B:North
Terminus A: in Currituck
Terminus B:Princess Anne Road at the Virginia state line
Counties:Currituck
Established:1963
Previous Type:NC
Previous Route:610
Next Type:NC
Next Route:690

North Carolina Highway 615 (NC 615) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It connects Knotts Island with mainland North Carolina via the Currituckā€“Knotts Island Ferry.

Route description

NC 615 connects the community of Knotts Island with both mainland North Carolina and Virginia. The 14.9miles route begins at NC 168, in Currituck, where it goes east and crosses over the Currituck Sound, via the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry. On Knotts Island, it continues north for 9miles before reaching the Virginia state line. On the island, the route is well signed and borders the Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Ferry service, which predates the highway by one year (1962), was established originally to shorten the travel time for Knott's Island school children to their school on the mainland (in Barco). The ferry is free with year-round service with travel times of 45 minutes on average.[1]

The highway is the northeasternmost primary route in the state. The entire route is concurrent with North Carolina Bicycle Route 4.[2]

History

Established around 1963 as a new primary routing, NC 615 was located only on Knotts Island. At some point before 2001, the highway was extended overlapping the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry, ending on the mainland at Courthouse Road. On April 9, 2013, it was extended 0.36miles northwest along Courthouse Road to end at its current southern terminus at NC 168. Justification for the extension was to connect to North Carolina Highway 168 and remove a gap.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NCDOT: Ferry Routes. January 3, 2011.
  2. Web site: NC 4 - North Line Trace . North Carolina Bike Routes Beta . Walk Bike North Carolina Bicycle Routes . March 11, 2016.
  3. Web site: North Carolina Department of Transportation . NC 615 Route Change (2013-04-09). April 9, 2013 . June 14, 2013.