North Carolina Highway 105

North Carolina Highway 105 (NC 105) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses from the mountain community of Linville to the town of Boone.

North Carolina Highway 105
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length17.7 mi[1] (28.5 km)
Existed1956–present
Major junctions
South end US 221 in Linville
  NC 184 in Sugar Mountain
US 221 / US 321 in Boone
North end US 221 / US 421 / NC 194 in Boone
Location
CountiesAvery, Watauga
Highway system
← NC 104NC 106 →

Route description
Northbound NC 105, in Linville
Southbound NC 105 with overlapping US 221, US 321, and US 421 Truck routes, in Boone
North end of NC 105, in Boone

NC 105 follows the general route of the old East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), also known as the "Tweetsie," connecting Linville to Boone before a major flood washed away many sections of the railbed in 1940. For the most part the highway was not built on the actual railbed. Unlike other roads in the area, it was less curvy and made the most direct route to Boone compared to U.S. Route 221 (US 221) and NC 194. The highway also doubles as a truck route for US 221 (south of US 221 in Boone), US 321 and US 421 (both north of NC 105 Bypass in Boone).[1][2]

The first four miles (6.4 km) of the highway are two-lane and go by the gated communities Grandfather Golf & Country Club and Linville Ridge. At the Tynecastle intersection in Linville Gap, it crosses the Eastern Continental Divide and begins to descend into a valley area. On this section of the highway, the south-bound traffic has a passing lane and trucks are required to drive 45 miles per hour (72 km/h). Once the descent ends, the route briefly passes through the town limits of Seven Devils. Between Seven Devils and Broadstone Road is the unincorporated community of Foscoe. Some of the best views of Grandfather Mountain can be seen at this section of the highway for southbound traffic; it is also notorious for traffic back-ups by travelers trying to stop and visit shops on either side of the road. A brief southbound passing lane is available near Hound Ears. Between Broadstone Road and NC 105 Bypass, the highway ascends towards Boone, and the north-bound traffic expands to two lanes. A rock quarry and asphalt plant are located along the road through here. In Boone, the highway becomes a full four-lane highway for the rest of the route and connects to two major roads: Blowing Rock Road and East King Street.[1][2]

Dedicated and memorial names

NC 105 has one dedicated or memorialized stretch of freeway.

  • W Ralph Winkler Highway – Official name of highway, from the Avery/Watauga county line to Blowing Rock Road. It is dedicated to Ralph Winkler, who was a member of the State Highway and Public Works Commission in the 1950s.

History

Established in 1956 as a new primary route between Linville and Boone, it converted the ET&WNC "Tweetsie" railroad that had discontinued service since a major flood in 1940.[3][4]

Prior to 1956, NC 105 was originally assigned as a primary route from Nebo to Linville Falls in 1926.[5][6] It was then extended in 1929 slightly south to US 70/NC 10.[7][8] In 1935, the highway was rerouted from Longtown[9] to Morganton; the old route to Nebo was re-branded as NC 105A.[10][11] In 1940, NC 105 was restored to its original route to Nebo, eliminating NC 105-A; the route from Longtown to Morganton was redesignated as NC 126.[12][13] Then finally in 1954, it was decommissioned; NC 126 was extended from Longtown to Nebo, while NC 183 extended over a small section in Linville Falls.[3][14]

The remaining section, known as "Old NC Highway 105 ", has remained unchanged and is not recommended for vehicles without four-wheel drive. The rugged highway with views of the Linville Gorge Wilderness is a part of the Pisgah Loop Scenic Byway.[15][16]

Future

Identified by local and state officials as a critical highway in the High Country, that is choked by high truck volumes and seasonal tourist traffic, NCDOT plans to widen 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of NC 105 into a divided four-lane highway from Clarks Creek Road east of Foscoe to NC 105 Bypass in Boone.[17]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
AveryLinville0.00.0 US 221 to NC 181 (Newland Highway) – Blowing Rock, Marion, NewlandTo Grandfather Mountain; south end of US 221 Truck concurrency
Sugar Mountain4.06.4 NC 184 north (Tynecastle Highway) – Banner Elk, Sugar Mountain, Beech MountainTo Lees-McRae College and ski areas
WataugaBoone15.024.1
US 321 Truck north / US 421 Truck north (NC 105 Bypass) – Caldwell Community College		South end of US 321 Truck / US 421 Truck concurrencies
17.027.4 US 221 south / US 321 (Blowing Rock Road) – Blowing Rock, LenoirSouth end of US 221 overlap; north end of US 221 Truck / US 321 Truck concurrencies; to ASU
17.728.5 US 221 north / US 421 / NC 194 (King Street) – Wilkesboro, Todd, West JeffersonNorth end of US 221 overlap; north end of US 421 Truck concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

Nebo–Longtown alternate spur

North Carolina Highway 105A
LocationNebo–Longtown, NC
Length7.6 mi[18] (12.2 km)
Existed1935–1940

North Carolina Highway 105A (NC 105A) was established in 1935, when NC 105 was rerouted along the north bank of Lake James and then southwest into Morganton. In 1940, NC 105 reverted to its old alignment with Nebo when NC 126 was established; in 1954, it too became part of NC 126.

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References
  1. Google (February 1, 2011). "NC 105" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  2. State Transportation Map (Map) (2013–14 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 2013.
  3. North Carolina (Map) (1955 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1955.
  4. North Carolina (Map) (1956 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1956.
  5. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1925 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1925.
  6. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1926 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1926.
  7. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1928 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1928.
  8. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1929 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1929.
  9. "Longtown". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  10. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1934 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1934.
  11. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1935 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1935.
  12. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1939 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1939.
  13. State Highway System of North Carolina (Map) (1940 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1940.
  14. North Carolina (Map) (1954 ed.). Cartography by North Carolina State Tax Commission. North Carolina State Highway Commission. 1954.
  15. "NCDOT: Scenic Byways". Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  16. Google (October 5, 2014). "Old NC Highway 105" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  17. "NCDOT: NC 105 Widening". Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  18. Google (May 13, 2014). "North Carolina Highway 105A - Nebo, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
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