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U.S. Route 117 south - Goldsboro to Faison
Pulling away from the southern terminus of Interstate 795, U.S. Route 117 passes along the west side of Goldsboro, North Carolina, with three lanes in each direction for the time being. Overlapping US 117 here are U.S. Route 13, which has a separate bypass of Goldsboro to the north, and North Carolina Highway 581. (10-2-2023)
Shields for all three routes are posted here. (10-2-2023)
Further south, after US 117 receives the south end of Goldsboro's iteration of US 117 Business, the route approaches a traffic signal for the NC 581 split. (10-2-2023)
Signs with warning flashers sit on each side of the southbound carriageway approaching the signal. (10-2-2023)
The designated truck entrance for the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in the city is accessible through a left turn onto NC 581, then left on Westbrook and right on Slocumb. (10-2-2023)
NC 581 is known as Arrington Bridge Road (after its crossing of the Neuse River) from here until it bears onto Bill Lane Boulevard, which takes it to an end at North Carolina Highway 111. Arrington Bridge Road then becomes SR 1915. (10-2-2023)
The remaining routes (117 and 13) begin to clear of trees as a pond dwells in the highway's median. (10-2-2023)
The highway's two carriageways proceed to merge back together. (10-2-2023)
After it crosses the Neuse River, US 117 enters the outlying community of Mar-Mac. Less than half a mile to the south of this traffic signal, US 13 leaves the corridor bound for the Fayetteville area to the southwest by way of Newton Grove, leaving US 117 to continue solo. (10-2-2023)
Another alternate route of US 117, this one serving Mount Olive and Calypso, begins just ahead. (10-2-2023)
In the distance, a green sign announces an upcoming interchange with O'Berry Road, leading east to Dudley. (10-2-2023)
The gore of the southbound O'Berry Road ramp. (10-2-2023)
The next interchange is with Country Club Road (SR 1135), leading to the Southern Wayne Country Club north of Mount Olive. (10-2-2023)
Country Club Road sits just ahead. (10-2-2023)
There is then an interchange with North Carolina Highway 55, and is the exit directly serving Mount Olive. From the exit, NC 55 leads west to Newton Grove in Clinton County via NC 50, and east to Kinston in Lenoir County via NC 11. (10-2-2023)
Off this exit is the University of Mount Olive as well as the namesake pickle company. (10-2-2023)
The NC 55 exit is ahead at right. (10-2-2023)
Beyond NC 55, Warsaw and Wilmington are 16 and 73 miles away. (10-2-2023)
Then, at a flashing beacon, the route intersects Smith Chapel Road at left (leading back into downtown Mount Olive) and Old Smith Chapel Road at right. It is just beyond this intersection that US 117 crosses from Wayne into Duplin County. (10-2-2023)
Traffic needing to continue on mainline US 117 toward Faison is now to keep or move left. (10-2-2023)
This pair of yellow signs then warn of traffic entering when the flashers are activated. (10-2-2023)
Mainline US 117 now goes off to the left to Calypso (where it receives the south end of US 117 Alternate) and Faison, while straight ahead, the US 117 Connector begins, providing a straight shot to I-40, NC 403 and, further south and west, the city of Clinton. (10-2-2023)
This trio of route markers reiterates what the preceding BGS stated. (10-2-2023)
The connector proceeds southwestward, with trees and guardrails on either side and a flat, grassy median. (10-2-2023)
At another flashing beacon, the highway intersects North Carolina Highway 50, which goes south (left) a short distance into Faison. NC 50 overall runs 164 miles southeast-northwest from Topsail Beach to Creedmoor in Granville County, passing straight through Raleigh in the process. (10-2-2023)
After the NC 50 junction comes another set of 117/40/403 markers and a noted 60 MPH speed limit. (10-2-2023)
Clinton is 14 miles from the sign at right, mostly by way of NC 403. (10-2-2023)
The highway enters Sampson County, then intersects Eldon Thornton Road (SR 1779). (10-2-2023)
The speed limit drops to 55 as the NC 403 junction nears. (10-2-2023)
Clinton remains straight ahead at the intersection, while Faison is to the left (north). (10-2-2023)
The connector joins NC 403 for its last few feet. (10-2-2023)
The highway now climbs uphill toward its interchange with I-40. (10-2-2023)
Wilmington is straight ahead (east on I-40), while Newton Grove is westbound on I-40. (10-2-2023)
Markers pointing to each direction of I-40 are placed here. (10-2-2023)
The US 117 connector now reaches its end. NC 403 continues beyond the interchange to just east of Clinton, where it itself ends at U.S. Route 701 Business. (10-2-2023)