More than 60 years ago, Wilmington had at least two major U.S. roadways connecting it to the rest of the state. One was identified, however, for its importance linking the Port City to the growing piedmont region.
Decades before a push was made to bring Interstate 40 to the area, officials saw a greater need to improve U.S. 421, which goes from New Hanover County to Greensboro. In effect, the road meant more opportunities for industry, at least in comparison to U.S. 17, which only hugs more rural Eastern North Carolina.
A column in the Sept. 15, 1965, edition of the Wilmington Morning Star noted the state highway commission chairman’s emphasis on U.S. 421 and how it should be a four-lane road from Carolina Beach to Greensboro.
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“Anyone who travels 421, especially certain segments of it such as between Wilmington and Clinton, will agree that the road is in need of improvement,” according to the column. “Some parts of it are dismally substandard and inadequate. Yet, this is a major route connecting the Industrial Piedmont with the state’s largest deepwater port.”