FAYETTEVILLE – More “Interstate 295” signs will go up along the Fayetteville Outer Loop.
After the first section opened in 2003, the Federal Highway Administration required the N.C. Department of Transportation to sign the freeway as “N.C. 295” (black lettering on a white diamond) until more of it could be completed.
When the section between the All American Freeway and Cliffdale Road opened in 2019, the NCDOT was allowed to use the 295 interstate moniker with the iconic red, white and blue shield.
Now, the NCDOT will update the signage along the 22 miles of the Outer Loop that have been built. Under a contract approved last month, I-295 decals will be placed over the “N.C. 295” portion of the existing green-and-white signs along the older segments. More than 40 signs will need to be updated, including the mile posts that now read “N.C. 295.”
Traffic Control Safety Services Inc. of Winston-Salem was awarded the $120,000 contract, which also will replace the older style of overhead signs that require lighting at the I-95 and I-74 interchange in Lumberton. The new signage will have a highly reflective material that can be seen at night without attached lighting.
The work can begin by August, and the contractor has until next spring to complete the sign upgrades.