Interstate 295 North Carolina

east of Parkton, NC ↔ Eastover, NC•39.00 miles

Overview

Interstate 295 is the designation for the Fayetteville Outer Loop encircling Fayetteville. The freeway improves connectivity between the US Army's Fort Bragg and I-95, as well as providing a new commuter route between the base and city of Fayetteville. The final section of the loop opened to traffic on November 25, 2025, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on the southbound roadway for I-295 between the Little Rockfish Creek bridge and the Strickland Bridge Road overpass (Woolverton, 2025).

The loop had been listed by various sources as being 27 miles long¹ and 40 miles long. ² The final design takes I-295, 39 miles around the north, west and south sides of Fayetteville.⁷ The route connects Interstate 95 and U.S. 13, by the town of Eastover, with the All American Freeway at Fort Bragg and U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) in west Fayetteville.

Sign changes made in 2014 redesignated the original seven mile long section joining U.S. 401 (Ramsay Street) with I-95 from Future I-295 to North Carolina Highway 295. This designation was meant to be temporary, awaiting both the completion of the loop and upgrades to bridges along the route and interchange with I-95/U.S. 13.

A 2.7 mile long section of the Fayetteville Outer Loop opened to traffic south from Cliffdale Road (SR 1400) to U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) on August 19, 2020. It opened three months ahead of schedule. Signage for this segment, and the previously opened section from the All American Freeway (SR 1007) to Cliffdale Road, reference the beltway as Interstate 295 instead of NC 295. This is because the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) granted permission to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to designated the entire freeway as I-295. Remaining NC 295 markers are being replaced NCDOT.¹⁰

Another two mile long section of the Fayetteville Outer Loop opened to local traffic on November 21, 2022 between Exit 2 / Parkton Road and Exit 4 / Black Bridge Road to the southwest of Hope Mills.¹¹

Unopened roadways along I-295 at Black Bridge Road. — Interstate 295 south of the Black Bridge Road overpass near Parkton, North Carolina. 12/28/22

NC 295 north of Parkton Road near Parkton. — The short section of Interstate 295 opened north from Parkton Road near Parkton, North Carolina. 12/28/22

Guide sign for I-95 on NC 295 south at Parkton Road. — Guide signs for the south end of the Fayetteville Outer Loop were installed along the unopened section of I-295 extending south from Parkton Road. 12/28/22

Construction on the final 15 miles of I-295 was follows:

Section A - I-95 to Camden Road - a $129.7 million design-build contract was awarded in December 2017. Construction began in Spring 2019 with a scheduled completion by Summer 2022. Coupled with widening I-95 from four to eight lanes between mile marker 37 and 40, work ran through August 2024.¹²
Section B - Camden Road (SR 1003) to U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) - a construction contract was previously to be awarded in August 2022.¹⁰ Funding issues associated with the Map Act court ruling pushed back the start of the work by three years. A $151.8 million contract for the four year project was awarded during the first week of July 2022. Construction ran from August 2022¹² to November 2025 (Woolverton, 2025).
Section CA - U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) to Cliffdale Road (SR 1400) - the expected completion date for construction south from Raeford Road to Century Circle was Summer 2022.

Mileage by State

North Carolina

39.00 mi

Data Sources

NCDOT: Fayetteville Outer Loop. https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/fayetteville-outer-loop/Pages/default.aspx

History

The Fayetteville loop was first considered in 1977. Discussion for the road continued through the Governor Jim Martin administration to 1993 and further by U.S. Rep Richard Hudson and Fayetteville Major J.L. Dawkins around the year 2000.⁶ An Interstate designation was eventually sought, with North Carolina officials submitting Interstate 195 to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on May 30, 2003. That choice was rejected. On May 6, 2005, North Carolina resubmitted the Fayetteville bypass to AASHTO, this time requesting the designation of Interstate 295. AASHTO approved I-295 as a future route, with signs erected along completed sections of the route soon thereafter.

The first two segments of Interstate 295 opened were the section from U.S. 401 (Ramsay Street) to River Road on June 16, 2003,² and the section from River Road east to Interstate 95 and U.S. 13 on July 7, 2005.³ The initial segment generally served local traffic.

Fayetteville, NC - 2004 — The 2004 North Carolina Official State Map showed the completed segment of Future I-295 between U.S. 401 and River Road as NC 13.

Fayetteville, NC - 2006 — The 2006 North Carolina Official State Map showed the Fayetteville Outer Loop as complete between U.S. 401 and I-95 and signed as Future I-295.

NC 295 extension to McArthur Road - parcel map — 2009 parcel map showing the west end of Interstate 295 and its eventual extension to McArthur Road.

Construction continued along future Interstate 295 westward to the All American Freeway (SR 1007) to the August 4, 2014 opening of the 1.7 mile link between NC 24/87 and NC 210. This portion cost $6.1 million, with work commencing in March 2013.⁴ Completion of the freeway from the All American Freeway to U.S. 401 (Ramsay Street) was scheduled for late 2016.⁵ The initial stretch extended the freeway west from Murchison Road (NC 210) to Bragg Boulevard on August 11, 2016. Succeeding work on the $146 million project⁷ completed the link to the All American Freeway on December 2, 2016.⁸

NC 295 south at All American Freeway - Fayetteville — The Fayetteville Outer Loop west to the All American Freeway (SR 1007) was completed on December 2, 2016. 01/01/17

All American Freeway north at NC 295 - Fayetteville — A cloverstack interchange connects the All American Freeway with the Fayetteville Outer Loop by Fort Liberty. 01/01/17

The next phase of road work for Interstate 295 underway was the 6.7 mile segment (Section CB) from the All American Freeway south to Cliffdale Road (SR 1400). A $125.4-million contract was awarded for the project in August 2014,⁵ and scheduled for completion in October 2018.⁷ However a design change in this segment adding a $2 million tunnel to accommodate Fort Bragg military vehicles, pushed the scheduled completion back to Summer or Fall 2019.⁹ Section CB finally opened to motorists on November 26, 2019.

I-95/295 - Fayetteville Outer Loop interchange plan — The south end of the Fayetteville Outer Loop connects with Interstate 95 at a trumpet interchange in a rural area in eastern Robeson County. Concurrent construction through late 2026 widens I-95 to eight overall lanes through the exchange with I-295 north.

Subsequent construction of the Fayetteville Outer Loop included a $100.6 million design-build contract awarded in June 2016 for Section CA. The 3.1 mile long segment extends from Cliffdale Road to Century Circle, south of U.S. 401 (Raeford Road). Construction on Section CA commenced in August 2007 and 2.7 miles of the freeway were completed on August 19, 2020.¹⁰

More than $400 million was invested to complete the remainder of the loop by 2025. This included a budgetary allocation in 2015 to speed the time table for the start of work on the portion between Camden Road and Interstate 95 to the south by one year to 2020.⁷

North End ‐ Eastover, NC

North at

Two miles from I-95 and U.S. 13 on I-295 northbound

The Fayetteville Outer Loop advances east from River Road (SR 1714) to the cloverstack interchange (Exit 34) with Interstate 95. 07/29/25

I-295 north concludes at I-95 and U.S. 13 in one mile

Ramps split from the north end of I-295 for I-95

North at

Business Loop I-95 merges with I-95, 1.5 miles south of the Fayetteville Outer Loop and U.S. 13 in the town of Eastover. 12/21/18

South at

Two miles from I-295/US 13 on I-95 south near Eastover, NC

Southbound Interstate 95 two miles ahead of Exit 58 to both I-295 (Fayetteville Outer Loop) south and U.S. 13 north. 12/29/25

1.25 miles ahead of I-295 south and US 13 north on I-95 southbound

Exit 58 partitions for I-295 south to Fort Bragg and US 13 north

South at

Beyond the intersection with SR 1863 (Pembroke Lane), U.S. 13 concludes at the north side ramps joining I-95 with the Fayetteville Outer Loop. 01/01/17

North End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

at

1.50 miles ahead of the exchange (Exit 58) with Future I-295 south and U.S. 13 north. U.S. 13 travels north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, by way of Goldsboro and Greenville, North Carolina, the Hampton Roads region, the Delmarva Peninsula and Philadelphia. 05/30/07

South End ‐ east of Parkton, NC

South at

Interstate 295 concludes one mile south of the dumbbell interchange (Exit 2) with Leeper Road near Parkton. 12/29/25

One mile ahead of Left Exit 1 for I-95 north on I-295 south

I-295 south crosses US 301 ahead of I-95 near Parkton, NC

I-295 south at I-95 south to Lumberton, NC

Former South End ‐ north Fayetteville, NC

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

at

Future I-295 west crossed the Cape Fear River and a Norfolk Southern Railroad line and concluded at a half single point urban interchange (SPUI) with U.S. 401. The section leading west to NC 210 opened to traffic on August 11, 2016. 05/30/07

Temporary South End ‐ Fayetteville, NC

Future/Proposed Alignment Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

South at

I-295 extended south from Cliffdale to a partially opened single point interchange (Exit 12) with U.S. 401 (Raeford Road). 05/31/21

References

Discover Fayetteville: On The Go. Retrieved from http://www.discoverfayetteville.com/community/traffic.shtml
Secretary Tippett's Remarks - Fayetteville Outer Loop Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 16, 2003. Retrieved from http://www.ncdot.org/public/speeches/loopceremony06_03.html
Terry, E. Fayetteville, NC: Fast Facts - Fayetteville, N.C. is a Community of History, Heroes, and a Hometown Feeling. Retrieved from http://www.ncinvest.com/fayetevillefastfacts.htm
"Fayetteville's Outer Loop segment opens, connects Bragg Boulevard and Murchison Road." Fayetteville Observer, August 4, 2014.
"Gov. McCrory says finishing Fayetteville Outer Loop a priority." Fayetteville Observer, September 18, 2014.
"I-95 to Bragg Blvd. section of Outer Loop open to traffic." Fayetteville Observer, August 12, 2016.
"State Opens New Section of the Fayetteville Outer Loop." North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), news release, August 11, 2016.
"Next Section of Fayetteville Outer Loop Ready to Open." North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), news release, December 1, 2016.
"New segment of Outer Loop project delayed until 2019." The Fayetteville Observer (NC), November 13, 2018.
"Fayetteville Outer Loop segment to open Wednesday afternoon." The Fayetteville Observer (NC), August 18, 2020.
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). (2022, November 21). New I-295 Section Opened Today. [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2022/2022-11-21-i-295-segment-opens.aspx
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). (2022, July 8). Final Leg of Fayetteville Outer Loop is Awarded.. [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2022/2022-07-08-final-leg-fayetteville-outer-loop.aspx
Woolverton, P. (2025, November 19). Final Segment of the I-295 Fayetteville Outer Loop to Open on Tuesday. CityView. Retrieved from https://www.cityviewnc.com/stories/final-segment-of-the-i-295-fayetteville-outer-loop-to-open-on-tuesday/

Updated January 26, 2026