NC: NC 306

[Markkos1992]

The route does not seem to be right in the HB between NC 33 and the ferry at the Pamlico River.

I did not see anything on the NC Highways Annex showing any recent major realignment here.

[dfilpus]

The route in the HB is a very old routing. NC 306 used to go that way. Before NC 306 was designated, NC 33 curved north and ran east into Aurora, where it jogged south to get to the bridge. NC 306 was designated along NC 33, then north to the ferry. When NC 33 was straightened out to run south of town to the bridge, NC 306 was left on old NC 33. It is shown on maps as recently as 2013. At some point NC 306 was moved to the current intersection with NC 33.

The section of NC 306 between the Old306 waypoints was relocated in 2001. It looks like those waypoints were put in as part of making the relocation, but the actual relocation was not finished.

[mapmikey]

Researching HistoricAerials, NC 306 has been rebuilt 3 times north of Aurora in different spots onto completely different alignments:

Note that 306 could only have used the routing shown in the HB from Old306_S to Old306_N from 1977-80.  Note the 1977 Topo map shows the 1980 routing of NC 306 to exist (1972 Beaufort County map shows no road, 1980 issue shows 306 using the new road).  I believe the new road was built before NC 306 and numbered SR 1004 (1976 change document has 306 replacing 1004 only).

The 1977 extension of NC 306 to the ferry followed today's 306 to the Old306_S point, then did a quick S to the west, then went straight north past current 306 to where the RR runs E-W, then followed the RR east to where 306 picks it up now, which starts to curl northeast, then north.  About where it transitions to heading north, original 306 kept on the northeast then ENE to reach the ferry landing (barely any of 306 using the ferry approach from 1977).

In 2001, 306 was removed from the long straight north routing just past the Old306_S point and instead heads like it does now further northwest to the RR, then follows it north a bit before cutting northeast as it does now to reach the RR again, and followed the 1977 routing from here to the ferry.

In 2010, 306 was removed from the northeast and ENE routing to the ferry to instead continue following the railroad to nearly the edge of the Neuse River, then following the river edge to the ferry as it does today.


State officials show the 1977 and 2010 routings but not the 2001-09 routing.

NC 306 was removed from Old NC 33 at Aurora by 1980 per County maps.

I will alter the 306 routing in the HB on my next round of updates...
 

[mapmikey]

changes made and in the queue