In the 1990s, a parkway was being built to relieve traffic on Market Street, and plans for another loop north of Wilmington were taking shape.
According to an article in the March 15, 1995, Wilmington Morning Star, the state completed a study of two routes connecting Interstate 40 and Interstate 421. The road would be part of the proposed U.S. 17 Wilmington Bypass, known as the “North Outer Loop.”
Named the Northern and Southern alternatives, each has a similar cost of approximately $101 million. The northern section will be longer at 9.4 miles, while the southern section will pass through the Wrightsboro area, displacing more homes (58) and businesses (20).
Once a route is chosen and environmental studies are completed, state officials expect construction to begin in 1998.
In 2006, new pavement, painted lines and signs awaited traffic on Interstate 140 in northern New Hanover County.
In 1997, a more central route was chosen between the original alternatives. Construction didn’t begin until the early 2000s, when efforts began to name it Interstate 140.
Sections were opened in 2005, 2006 and 2017, with some work continuing until 2018. The Outer Loop now extends from Porters Neck to south of Leland. The loop starts from NC 140 on the east side and becomes I-140 after it intersects with Interstate 40.
In 2017, US 17 was rerouted through Market Street.
Owen Hassell is the local news editor for the Star News. You can contact him at ohassell@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared in the Wilmington StarNews: Bypass Options in Wilmington, NC 1995
