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| U.S. Route 701 | |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Type | US |
| Route | 701 |
| Length mi | 160 |
| Established | 1926 |
| Direction a | South |
| Terminus a | Georgetown |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus b | Wilson |
| States | South Carolina, North Carolina |
U.S. Route 701 is a north–south United States Numbered Highway serving the coastal plain of South Carolina and North Carolina. The highway connects port towns, historic districts, and regional centers, linking Georgetown County, Horry County, Pender County, and Wilson County with inland routes such as U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 74, and Interstate 95. The corridor passes near sites associated with Revolutionary War, Civil War, and Civil Rights Movement history, as well as economic nodes tied to Port of Wilmington and Port of Georgetown.
U.S. highway mileage begins at Georgetown on the banks of the Pee Dee River, proceeds north through Pawleys Island, and intersects major corridors including U.S. 17 near Murrells Inlet and Conway, a municipality adjacent to Horry County facilities. The route continues toward the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge region and connects to Myrtle Beach International Airport area roads before entering rural segments that link to Whiteville and Elizabethtown via crossings of tributaries feeding the Cape Fear River. North of Fayetteville sprawl, the highway aligns with state routes near Dunn and crosses I-95 and U.S. 301 corridors before terminating in Wilson, which is part of the Research Triangle Region peripheries and provides connections to U.S. 264 and regional rail lines. The corridor serves freight movements to Port of Wilmington and supports tourism flows to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, and historic plantations in Georgetown County.
The highway was designated in the 1926 establishment of the U.S. Highway System era, intersecting contemporaneous corridors like U.S. Route 17 and U.S. Route 301. Early 20th-century improvements were influenced by regional boosters tied to North Carolina Department of Transportation and South Carolina Department of Transportation, with funding patterns resembling projects under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 and later Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 impacts on parallel arterials. During the Great Depression, Works Progress Administration projects upgraded sections near Georgetown and Whiteville, while wartime mobilization in World War II increased traffic to military installations such as Fort Bragg. Mid-century realignments paralleled the rise of Interstate 95 and shifted longer-distance freight off the route; urban bypasses near Conway, South Carolina and Elizabethtown, North Carolina were constructed amid Federal Highway Administration-era planning. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, corridor improvements responded to tourism growth tied to Myrtle Beach and industrial expansion around Wilson, North Carolina, with state-led projects often coordinated with federal programs like the National Highway System designation.
The route connects with several principal corridors and facilities: - Southern terminus at Georgetown connecting to local waterfront access and U.S. Route 17 links to Charleston. - Junction with U.S. Route 17 near Murrells Inlet providing access toward Jacksonville and Wilmington. - Interchange with state and U.S. routes serving Conway, South Carolina and Myrtle Beach International Airport connecting to South Carolina Highway 22 and tourist corridors. - Crossings of U.S. Route 74/U.S. Route 76 corridors near Whiteville and Elizabethtown, linking to Charlotte and Wilmington. - Intersection with Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 301 facilitating connections to Richmond and Savannah. - Northern terminus in Wilson with access to U.S. Route 264, regional rail yards, and connections toward the Research Triangle Park region.
A series of business and bypass routings have been designated over time to serve urban centers and historic districts. Business alignments traverse downtowns such as Conway, South Carolina, Whiteville, North Carolina, and Elizabethtown, North Carolina, often overlapping with state routes and municipal streets governed by North Carolina Department of Transportation and South Carolina Department of Transportation policies. Bypass segments were created to alleviate through-traffic impacts on landscapes associated with Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge and coastal communities including Pawleys Island. Truck routes and signed alternates have been implemented near industrial nodes in Wilson, North Carolina and around port access points at Port of Georgetown and Port of Wilmington.
Planned improvements are coordinated among North Carolina Department of Transportation, South Carolina Department of Transportation, and metropolitan planning organizations including those in Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Projects under consideration include capacity upgrades, intersection modernizations near U.S. Route 74 interchanges, and resilience measures addressing coastal flooding linked to Hurricane Hugo impacts and ongoing Atlantic hurricane season threats. Freight mobility initiatives aim to enhance links to Port of Wilmington and agribusiness logistics serving Duplin County and Georgetown County. Transit-oriented and multimodal planning seeks coordination with rail services such as Norfolk Southern Railway corridors and potential park-and-ride facilities serving commuters to Research Triangle Park and military installations like Fort Liberty.
Category:United States Numbered Highways Category:Roads in North Carolina Category:Roads in South Carolina