page_title: U.S. Route 401
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: U.S. Route 401 / History
caption_attribution_description: The north end of US 401 in North Carolina.
context_page_description: U.S. Route 401 is a north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that travels along the Fall Line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina.
context_section_description: US 401 was established in 1957 as a renumbering of US 15A, from Sumter to Raleigh, and NC 59, from Raleigh to Norlina; it is the third and current route to bear the name.
  In 1967, northbound US 401 was rerouted along South Street west onto McDowell Street, formally using Lenoir Street, in Raleigh.  That same year, US 401 was rerouted onto a bypass route northwest of downtown Fayetteville, replacing part of NC 59; its old alignment became US 401 Business.  In 1971, US 52/US 401 was placed on a new bypass northwest of Darlington; its old alignment became US 52 Business.  In 1984, US 401 was rerouted along the eastern half of the Raleigh Beltline (Tom Bradshaw Freeway and Cliff Benson Beltway); its former alignment through downtown Raleigh was downgraded to secondary roads.  In 1991, US 401 was rerouted back through downtown Raleigh after I-440 was established along the entire Raleigh Beltline.  In 2001, US 401 was extended north, in concurrency with US 1, to its current northern terminus to I-85, north of Norlina.  On July 16, 2015, US 401 was placed onto new four-lane superstreet alignment bypassing east of Rolesville; its former alignment through downtown Rolesville became US 401 Business.
  The first US 401 existed between 1926-1931, solely in Virginia, it was replaced by US 52.  The second US 401 existed between 1932-1934, in North Carolina and South Carolina, it was replaced by US 15 and US 15A.
caption: The north end of US 401 at I-85
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