North Carolina Highway 268 (NC 268) is a primary
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the U.S. state of
North Carolina. It connects many communities as it traverses through the
northwestern North Carolina mountains and
foothills.
Route description
NC 268 is a predominantly rural highway that traverse along or near the
Yadkin River and its tributaries, between
U.S. Route 321
U.S. Route 321 (US 321) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for from Hardeeville, South Carolina to Lenoir City, Tennessee; with both serving as southern termini. It reaches its northernmost point at Elizabethton, Tennessee. Becaus ...
(US 321) and
US 601, and through the
Sauratown Mountains in its eastern section. Its most traversed section is between
Wilkesboro and
Elkin. NC 268
overlaps with one state scenic byway: the Upper Yadkin Way, between US 321 and
W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir
The W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir is a artificial lake impounded by a dam located in Wilkes County, North Carolina. It is located on the Yadkin River system, and is operated and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Recreation
The lake ...
.
NC 268 begins in the west at an intersection with US 321 about north of downtown
Lenoir Lenoir may refer to:
Locations:
* Lenoir, North Carolina, United States
* Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States
* Lenoir City, Tennessee
In Universities:
* Lenoir-Rhyne University
* Lenoir Dining Hall, a dining hall at the University of N ...
,
Caldwell County. From its western terminus, the route heads on a curvy northeasterly path roughly following the Yadkin River. Entering
Wilkes County, it follows the southern shoreline of the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir towards the county seat of Wilkesboro. Before entering downtown Wilkesboro, the route has an interchange with
US 421/
NC 16 and meets
NC 18. Now in concurrency with NC 18, NC 268 crosses the Yadkin River and enters
North Wilkesboro. In the downtown area, NC 268, along with NC 18, makes a circle via CBD Loop, Sixth Street and D Street; it connects with
US 421 Business (US 421 Bus.) at the intersection of Sixth and Main Streets. West of the downtown area, US 421 Business splits and continues southwest along
NC 115. About later, NC 18 splits and continues north towards
Sparta. NC 268 continues independently east roughly paralleling the Yadkin River through the town of
Ronda on its way to the
Surry County line.
Just shy of the Wilkes-Surry county line near
Pleasant Hill, NC 268 splits onto a business route and a
bypass route. NC 268 Bypass is an
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
that passes through northern Elkin while NC 268 Bus. goes through downtown/southern Elkin. The bypass route meets
US 21 Bus. (North Bridge Street) and has an interchange with
US 21 Bypass before meeting
Interstate 77
Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
(I-77) at its exit 85 in northeast Elkin. NC 268 Bypass passes through the I-77 interchange, continuing east along C.C. Camp Road to rejoin its business route just west of the junction of the
Mitchell River Mitchell River may refer to:
Australia
*Mitchell River (Queensland)
*Mitchell River (Victoria)
*Mitchell River (Western Australia)
Canada
*Mitchell River (Cross River)
*Mitchell River (Quesnel River tributary)
United States
*Mitchell River (Mass ...
and the Yadkin River in the community of
Burch Burch may refer to:
People
*Burch (surname)
Places
;In the United States
*Burch, Missouri
*Burch, North Carolina
*Burch, West Virginia
;Elsewhere
*Burch, Poland
Burch is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wejherowo, within Wejher ...
.
The mainline NC 268 highway then ventures northeast from this point through the community of
Little Richmond to meet
US 601 at
Fairview Crossroads, just south of
Dobson. Passing through the crossroads, the route returns to an easterly path and crosses the
Fisher River before passing through the communities of
Level Cross and
Pine Hill. NC 268 then crosses the
Ararat River and passes to the north of
Pilot Mountain to meet
US 52 (Future
I-74) in the town of
Pilot Mountain. NC 268 passes through the town and crosses the county line into
Stokes County
Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury.
Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, N.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
. The final eastern segment of NC 268 is a curvy one through the
Sauratown Mountains, crossing
NC 66 to end at
NC 89 north of
Moores Springs and northwest of
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
.
Dedicated and memorial names
NC 268 features several dedicated bridges and stretches of highway throughout its route.
* Charles A. Suddreth – Official North Carolina name of NC 268 between US 321 and Buffalo Cove Road (SR 1504).
* John W. Brown Highway – Official North Carolina name of NC 268 around Ronda.
* Theodore Roosevelt Van Eaton Memorial Bridge – Official North Carolina name of bridge over US 21 in Elkin (approved: September 11, 2003).
History
NC 268 is an original state highway; that traversed from
NC 26 in Elkin to
NC 80 in Fairview Crossroads. In 1930, NC 268 was extended east on new primary routing to
US 121/NC 66 in Pilot Mountain. In 1931, NC 268 was extended west on new primary routing to end at NC 18 in North Wilkesboro. In 1933, NC 268 was extended west again along NC 18 into Wilkesboro, then on new routing to US 321/
NC 17 in
Patterson Patterson may refer to:
People
* Patterson (surname)
Places
;Canada
* Pattersons Corners, Ontario
* Patterson Township, Ontario
*Patterson, Calgary a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta.
;United States of America
* Patterson, Arkansas
* Patterson ...
. In 1938, NC 268 was rerouted to run directly between
Roaring River and Ronda leaving behind secondary roads that looped further north. Between 1939-1944, NC 268 was rerouted in Elkin to its current routing, leaving behind Elk Spur Street/West Market Street. In 1940, NC 268 was rerouted further south to connect with NC 18, in North Wilkesboro, its old alignment became NC 268A.
In 1941, NC 268 was extended west to connect with
NC 90 near Lenoir replacing part of and overlapping US 321. In 1952, NC 268 was truncated to its current western terminus at US 321, leaving behind Valway Road (SR 1352). In 1953, NC 268 was extended east along
US 52A in Pilot Mountain, then placed onto new primary routing to NC 66.
In 1962, NC 268 was rerouted south of what became W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir; a majority of the former route was abandoned and submerged by the reservoir, only Old NC 268 (SR 1145) remains. Also in 1962, NC 268 was rerouted in downtown North Wilkesboro, with eastbound along Tenth Street, A Street and D Street, and westbound along D Street and Tenth Street; which removed its routing along B Street. In 1978, NC 268 was rerouted again in downtown North Wilkesboro to its current alignment with eastbound along CBD Loop and Sixth Street and westbound along Sixth Street, "D" Street and CBD Loop.
In 2002, NC 268 was placed on new bypass routing north of Elkin; its old alignment becoming NC 268 Business.
In 2003, NC 268 was extended from NC 66 to its current eastern terminus with
NC 89.
Future
Two future projects impact NC 268 that may reroute the highway. The first is in Wilkes County, where a proposed multi-lane northern bypass would connect the NC 18/NC 268A interchange and go west to US 421. The second, located in Pilot Mountain, will place NC 268 onto new bypass road (two or multi-lane) south of the downtown area. Both projects are currently unfunded.
Junction list
Special routes
North Wilkesboro alternate route
North Carolina Highway 268 Alternate (NC 268A) was established in 1940 as a renumbering of NC 268. This short route serves as a cutoff between NC 268 and NC 18; it is four-lanes throughout. Signage at the location only indicate it as part of NC 268; however, NCDOT county maps identify it specifically as NC 268A.
Elkin business loop
North Carolina Highway 268 Business (NC 268 Bus) was established in 2002 as a renumbering of NC 268 through downtown Elkin, via Elkin Highway, Bridge Street (with short concurrency with US 21 Bus.), Market Street and Main Street.
[
]
See also
* North Carolina Bicycle Route 4
The following is a List of bicycle routes in North Carolina. These routes are designated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Division.
State U.S. Bicycle Route 1
The North Carolina po ...
- Concurrent with NC 268 from Toms Creek Road to its western NC 66 intersection around Pilot Mountain
References
External links
* {{commons category-inline, North Carolina Highway 268
NCRoads.com: N.C. 268
268
__NOTOC__
Year 268 ( CCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paternus and Egnatius (or, less frequently, year 1021 ...
Transportation in Caldwell County, North Carolina
Transportation in Wilkes County, North Carolina
Transportation in Surry County, North Carolina
Transportation in Stokes County, North Carolina