FAYETTEVILLE – The N.C. Department of Transportation celebrated Tuesday's opening of the final segment of the 39-mile Fayetteville Outer Loop, which is also Interstate 295.
State Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson joined state and local officials to snip a ceremonial ribbon on top of the freshly paved and striped lanes of the outer loop's 5-mile segment between Raeford and Camden roads that was completed five months ahead of schedule.
Ralph Huff, Highway Division 6 representative from Fayetteville on the N.C. Board of Transportation, told a crowd of more than 200 people the fully opened outer loop demonstrates the department's commitment to building a modern transportation network.
“Interstate 295 is transforming how people travel, improving highway safety and opening new areas to development and commerce," Huff said.
After the ceremony, the crowd cleared the roadway and crews removed the barricades, allowing the public to fully use the outer loop in time for the holiday travel season.
Following years of planning, ground was broken in 1999 on the first segment stretching from Ramsey Street to River Road, east of Fayetteville, with a set of new bridges over the Cape Fear River. That section opened in 2003 with fanfare by NCDOT and local officials.
Over the years, more sections of the outer loop were funded and built, generally westward, or what is now routed as I-295 South. Today, more than 40,000 vehicles a day travel on it.
Now fully opened, the bookends of the outer loop are I-95's Exit 58 in Eastover and I-95's Exit 38 in northern Robeson County.
This NCDOT project website has more details about the outer loop.