I-42 and US 70 from Clayton to Morehead City: a trucker's corridor guide

The short version

US 70 runs from I-40 at the Wake-Johnston line, past Smithfield, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern and Havelock, to Morehead City. NCDOT's long-term plan is to bring all of it up to interstate standards as I-42. [1][3]

As of October 2026, only two pieces are signed I-42: about 10 miles around Clayton and about 20 miles around Goldsboro. Everything else is still US 70. [1][2]

The big changes since last year: the Havelock Bypass fully opened in December 2025, and the Wilson's Mills upgrade in Johnston County was finished the same month. [3][9]

Still ahead: interchange work at James City near New Bern, due mid-2027, and the Kinston Bypass, which has no construction schedule or construction money yet. [8][10]

There's no weigh station on the corridor and only one rest area with truck parking. Check DriveNC for closures and work zones before you roll. [16][25]

What's signed I-42 today

FHWA approved the Johnston County and Wayne/Lenoir freeway segments as I-42 on March 7, 2022, because they already met interstate standards. [3]

NCDOT signed the Goldsboro Bypass as I-42 in fall 2024 and renumbered its exits. For example, the NC 581 exit went from Exit 351 to Exit 35. [1]

The Clayton section, from I-40 to the US 70 Business interchange east of Clayton, was signed starting in February 2025. [2]

I-42 mile markers count down heading west, to mile 1 where I-40 and US 70 meet outside Clayton. On I-40, that junction is Exit 309. [1][2]

Paperwork and older GPS maps may still use the old US 70 exit numbers or call NC 36 by its old name, NC 42. NCDOT renumbered it in 2025 to end 911 confusion over roads called highway 42. [1][2]

Some NCDOT pages still say I-42 signs are coming in 2022. That text is out of date; the signs went up in 2024 and 2025. [1][2][3]

Key interchanges, west to east

I-42 Exit 1 is I-40 and the east end of toll NC 540. Exits 4 and 7 are NC 36, and Exit 10 splits to US 70 Business toward Smithfield. These numbers come from Wikipedia's exit list, matched to NCDOT's releases. [4][1][2]

Past Exit 10, US 70 runs as a freeway through Wilson's Mills. NCDOT replaced the signals at Swift Creek Road and Wilson's Mills Road with interchanges in that 4.7-mile project. [7][3]

There's no I-95 interchange on the US 70 freeway itself. US 70 meets I-95 at I-95 Exit 97 near Selma, and US 70 Business meets it at Exit 95 in Smithfield, per Wikipedia. [5]

On the Goldsboro Bypass, Exit 39 is I-795, south toward US 117 and Wilmington or north toward Wilson. Exit 40 is US 117 and Exit 44 is US 13, per Wikipedia's exit list. [4][1]

Signed I-42 ends near La Grange. From there US 70 has at-grade crossings, then the NC 148 interchange for the Global TransPark, then runs through Kinston. [4][5][19]

In New Bern, US 17 joins US 70 west of town and the two run together across the Trent River to James City, per Wikipedia. [5]

Work zones and projects as of October 2026

James City: NCDOT is raising 5.1 miles of US 70 over Williams, Airport, Grantham and Thurman roads and Taberna Way, replacing the signals with interchanges. The $322 million job is expected to finish in mid-2027. [6][10]

Work on the Thurman Road bridge, the third of five, began in June 2026. Expect temporary signals and turn patterns near Thurman Road until it's done. [11]

From the Havelock Bypass to east of Thurman Road, a $345 million upgrade to interstate standards is underway. NCDOT's page gives no finish date. [12]

The Havelock Bypass, about 10 miles around the southwest side of Havelock, fully opened on Dec. 19, 2025. WCTI12 reported a 70 mph limit and about 15 signals skipped on the old route through town. [9][26]

The Kinston Bypass is about 21 miles and estimated at $1.235 billion. As of NCDOT's Oct. 5, 2026 update, the team is still working on the final environmental study, and there's no schedule for right of way or construction. [8][19]

NCDOT lists the Goldsboro Bypass-to-Princeton upgrade and the Newport River Bridge in Carteret County as still in development. [3]

Traffic: where it's busy

NCDOT's 2024 counts show about 42,000 to 45,500 vehicles a day on the Clayton section, up from about 31,000 to 33,500 in 2019. [14]

The Goldsboro Bypass carries far less, about 15,000 to 29,000 a day. In Kinston, US 70 east of US 258 carries about 40,000. [14]

Jones County, around Dover, is the quietest stretch at about 13,000 to 14,500 a day. [14]

The busiest count on the whole corridor is in New Bern north of Elder Street, about 48,500 a day. Morehead City runs about 31,000 to 34,000. [14]

The 2024 Havelock counts are for the old road through town, because they came before the bypass opened. NCDOT's layer has no truck-only counts. [14][9]

Truck limits, weigh stations and rest stops

NCDOT's truck restriction table, dated March 5, 2024, has no limits on US 70 or I-42 itself and no rows at all for Wayne, Lenoir, Jones, Craven or Carteret counties. [15]

It does bar trucks over 26,000 pounds from three Clayton side streets, including parts of Main Street (SR 1004). Our tip: stay on I-42 and US 70 rather than cutting through town. [15]

The State Highway Patrol's eight permanent weigh stations are all elsewhere in the state, so there's none on this corridor. [25]

The only rest area on the route with truck spaces is the Craven County US 70 rest area near Clarks, west of New Bern, with 10 truck spaces. DriveNC has shown "No Status Available" for it since late May 2026. [16]

The Carteret County visitor center in Morehead City has no truck spaces. Our tip: plan your break before you reach the coast. [16]

Bases and freight along the way

NCDOT cites military bases, the Morehead City port and eastern NC cities as reasons for I-42. Its James City page notes US 70 links the bases in Havelock and Goldsboro. [1][6]

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is in Goldsboro, and MCAS Cherry Point is in Havelock. Each has its own guide on this site. [6]

The Global TransPark in Kinston is reached by NC 148, the C.F. Harvey Parkway, which meets US 70 west of Kinston. [19][4]

The corridor is part of the Strategic Highway Network and is a major hurricane evacuation route, according to NCDOT. [3]

Flooding: the Neuse River at Kinston

During Florence on Sept. 20, 2018, Neuse River flooding closed four miles of US 70 in Kinston, from US 258 on the west side to NC 58 on the south side. [21]

NCDOT's eastbound detour went north around Kinston on NC 148, then NC 58, Cunningham Road, NC 11, NC 102 and US 17. One lane each way reopened on Sept. 24. [21][22]

After Matthew in 2016, WRAL reported that getting across the Neuse took a detour of 90 minutes or more until US 70 reopened. [23]

Our tip: when a storm is coming, watch the river forecast for the Neuse at Kinston and check DriveNC before you commit to US 70 east. [21][16]

The Port of Morehead City

The general cargo terminal is at 113 Arendell St., Morehead City. It handles bulk and breakbulk, including phosphate, fertilizer, lumber, metal, rubber, wood chips, aircraft parts and grain. [17]

As of October 2026, gates are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Trucks must check in by 4 p.m. to be sure of loading or unloading. [17][18]

You need a TWIC card to drive through the gates. Enroll it with the port by emailing twic_mhc@ncports.com, or you'll need a visitor's pass each day. [18]

Drivers without a TWIC need an approved escort, requested online at least eight hours ahead. [18]

The port closes Nov. 11 and Nov. 26 and 27, 2026, for Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Call 252-515-5211 during office hours or 252-515-5233 for the main gate after hours. [17][18]