North Carolina Highway 3

NC 3
Dale Earnhardt Boulevard
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	27 mi[1] (43 km)
Existed:	2002[1] – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 601 in Concord
	I-85 in Kannapolis (via Dale Earnhardt Blvd) US 601 in Concord
North end:	NC 152 in Mooresville
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System ← NC 2 NC 4 →

NC 3 is a North Carolina state highway approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length. It is numbered after Dale Earnhardt, the late NASCAR legend, who was driving the #3 car when he died at the 2001 Daytona 500.^[2] This state highway runs from Kannapolis, Earnhardt's birthplace, to downtown Mooresville. A short section of NC 3 is named Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, a name which was given to the road prior to Earnhardt's death. From Kannapolis to the Cabarrus-Iredell county line, it is signed as Mooresville Road.

Route description

NC 3's southern terminus is in Concord, at NC 73. From there, NC 3 travels north through Kannapolis and on to Mooresville. After meandering through downtown Mooresville and switching roads multiple times, NC 3 meets its northern terminus at Main Street (NC 152).

History

In 1934, NC 3 was signed as a short 1.5-mile (2.4 km) route on Buck Island traveling from U.S. Highway 158 to the Currituck Sound in Currituck County.^[1]

On October 23, 2002, Governor Mike Easley signed into law a bill officially reassigning NC 136 to NC 3's current route and vice versa. NC 3 was moved because it was the hometown of the aforementioned Dale Earnhardt who died in the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt drove the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet and grew up in the Mooresville region. NC 136 now follows the old NC 3 route.^[2]

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Cabarrus	Concord	0.0	US 601 (Warren C. Coleman Boulevard) to NC 49 – Midland, Mocksville, Harrisburg, Mount Pleasant	Southern terminus
		2.9	NC 73 (Corban Avenue) – Huntersville, Albemarle
		6.0	Copperfield Boulevard to I-85 / US 601 – Charlotte, Salisbury	Access to I-85 and US 601; Exit 60
	Kannapolis	8.7	US 29 (Cannon Boulevard) – Concord, Salisbury
		10.2	US 29 Alt. (Main Street)
Iredell	Mooresville	27.0	NC 152 (Main Street) to NC 115 – China Grove, Statesville	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

External links

• State Ends - NC 3 Termini
• State Ends - old NC 3 Termini