What's in a name?

You know the feeling when you're driving down the road and notice a great big green sign along the side of the road. You take a glance and look away, only to do a double-take and ask, "Who in the world is that guy and why on earth does he have this road named after him?"

Well, after much thought on the subject, I decided to look into the matter some more and see what I could find. Turns out many of those people who have roads named after them were quite prominent movers and shakers in their day, such as politicians and business owners. Problem is, most of us today are u unfamiliar with people such as Tom Bradshaw or Cliff Benson, yet their names are immortalized on highways or roads or bridges.

Now that more familiar folks such as Andy Griffith and the late Dale Earnhardt have their names plastered on highway signs, I thought it would be a great idea to educate you on the people behind the road names. Here is a listing of named roads, highways, and bridges all over the Triangle and the people behind them. Also, I have included a few other well-noted roads through the state as well. Next time you find yourself going down one of these roads in the near future, you'll at lease have some idea who really was the person on the big green sign.

NOTE: All signs in BROWN are highways named in honor of that person and will have signs in that particular color instead of the usual green. Signs in ORANGE are for highways that are either currently under construction or have yet to be built.

Triangle-Area Notables with Roads or Bridges Named After Them

Name Highway Location Best Known For
Jack P. Austin, Sr. Keen Road (SR 1178) Bridge over I-95 (Exit 87), Four Oaks Former mayor, town commissioner, business owner, and accountant.
Cliff Benson
I-440 Beltline northern half [picture]
NC 56 from US 401 in Louisburg to Franklin/Nash County line [picture]
Business owner, former State Highway Commissioner, and major fund-raiser for the North Carolina Democratic Party.
Harriet Morehead Berry From I-85 near Hillsborough to US 15-501 at the Durham/Orange County line Former Secretary of the North Carolina Geological & Environmental Survey who helped set up the North Carolina Good Roads Association in the early 1920s
Tom Bradshaw From Wade Ave. Extension in Raleigh to US 70 near Garner [picture] Former Raleigh mayor and North Carolina Transportation Secretary who helped spear construction of the southern half of the Raleigh Beltline in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Trooper J.T. Brown Bridge over Deep River at Chatham-Lee County Line near Moncure [picture] Former North Carolina Highway Patrol officer who died from a gunshot wound after stopping a speeding motorist in November 1957.
Earl "Easy" Creech, Jr. Bridge over I-95 in Benson [picture] Lifelong Benson resident who served on a number of civic organizations to help spur and promote growth in Johnston County.
I.L. "Buck" Dean Entire length of Durham Freeway from I-85 to I-40 in Durham [also known as the East-West Expressway] [picture] Former Durham City Councilman and Board of Transportation member.
Christopher C. Fordham III Chapel Hill [picture] Former UNC Chancellor who helped secure funding for widening the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Bypass in the late 1980s.
Ava Gardner BUSINESS
 Smithfield [picture] Legendary screen actress and Smithfield native who was once married to Frank Sinatra.
Paul Green Lillington to Dunn [picture] Author and playwright best known for his work on "The Lost Colony", the longest running outdoor play in America.
James E. Harrington From US 70 near Garner through Johnston County towards Wilmington [picture] Former NCDOT Secretary during the Jim Martin administration, helped establish the Highway Trust Fund and pushed for the completion of I-40 from Raleigh to Wilmington.
Gov. Luther H. Hodges Between NC 55 and NC 54 in Research Triangle Park [currently under construction] Former North Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, responsible for establishing state community college system and initial supporter of Research Triangle Park.
Trooper Harry T. Long Bridge over Cape Fear River in Lillington [picture] Former North Carolina Highway Patrol officer who died in a car wreck involving a drunken driver while in the line of duty back in December 1959.
Dan K. Moore From Durham Freeway in RTP to Wade Ave. Extension in Raleigh [picture] Former North Carolina Governor who helped secure a $300 million dollar road bond issue in the mid-1960s and promoted economic development for the Research Triangle Park.
John Motley Morehead III From US 15-501 at the Durham/Orange County line to Durham Freeway in RTP Well-respected businessman, chemist, and philanthropher from Eden. Generous supporter of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where the Bell Tower and the Planetarium are named in his honor.
V.A. "Tommy" Peoples South Main Street Bridge over Tar River in Louisburg [picture] Former mayor of Louisburg who served in that same position for twenty years and lobbied to have older bridge replaced with a much more safer structure.
Claude E. Pope From I-40 near Cary to US 15-501 near Sanford Developer and former North Carolina Secretary of Commerce
Shannon Smith Bridge over Neuse River near Wilsons Mills [picture] Johnston County correctional officer who was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle while supervising an inmate work crew in November 1999.
Deputy John F. Strickland Nursery Road (SR 1117) Section between NC 24/87 and SR 1172, western Harnett County Harnett County Sheriff's Deputy who was killed while responding to emergency call in September 2003.
Nello L. Teer, Sr. Roxboro Road, from I-85 to Durham/Person County line [picture] Road developer responsible for establishing the North Carolina State Highway Commission in the 1920 and constructing a number of projects, including the Blue Ridge Parkway.
James Taylor Bridge over Morgan Creek, Chapel Hill [picture] Singer and songwriter who grew up in the area, best known for such songs as "Sweet Baby James" and "Fire and Rain", along with down-home classics "Carolina In My Mind" and "Copperline."
State Sen. Robert Warren Section between Meadow in Johnston County and Newton Grove in Sampson County Former state senator, who chaired the Senate Transportation Committee during the mid-1980s and primary sponsor of the bill that made seatbelt use mandatory.


Other Notables with Roads or Bridges named after them in North Carolina

Name Location Best Known For
Virginia Dare US 64 Bypass Bridge crossing Croatan Sound, just south of Manteo First child of English descent born in America in 1587 on Roanoke Island. MSN Encarta article
Dr. Charles R. Drew NC 49 from Haw River to Alamance-Orange County line African-American surgeon and scientist who became a pioneer in blood plasma research. Died in 1950 after receiving massive injuries following an automobile accident on same stretch of highway.
Dale Earnhardt NC 3 (Former NC 136) between Mooresville and Concord Late NASCAR great and native of Kannapolis. Governor Mike Easley signed a bill into law back in Fall 2002 to change the route number in honor of the seven-time Winston Cup Champion.
Billy Graham I-240 Freeway loop through Asheville Internationally-known evangelist whose Crusades have attracted millions of people all over the world, native of Charlotte.
James A. "Jim" Graham US 70 from Salisbury to Statesville [picture] Former state Agriculture Commissioner best known as "The Sodfather", grew up in rural western Rowan County.
Andy Griffith US 52 Bypass in Mount Airy Famous actor of stage and screen and native of Mount Airy, which served as the basis for the town of Mayberry in the long-running "Andy Griffith Show." Also portrayed lawyer Ben Matlock in the TV series "Matlock."
James B. "Jim" Hunt, Jr. US 264 from Wake/Nash County line to Farmville (including Wilson Bypass) [picture] Former Governor who served four terms total from 1977-1985 and again from 1993-2001. Grew up in Rock Ridge in rural Wilson County.
Robert Glen "Junior" Johnson, Jr. US 421 Wilkes-Yadkin County line to Windy Gap exit, near Wilkesboro NASCAR legend who found fame both as a driver and car owner, helped create the Nextel Cup Series (formerly Winston Cup), and elevated sport to national status.
Michael J. Jordan I-40 in New Hanover County Former UNC and NBA hoops legend who grew up in Wilmington. Help UNC win the 1982 NCAA Championship, along with 6 NBA titles for the Chicago Bulls.
Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice NC 150 in Cherryville UNC football legend from the late 1940s who later went on to play for the Washington Redskins, and former WWII Naval Officer.
Trooper Ed Lowry & Deputy Sheriff David Hatchcock NC 59 Bridge over I-95 near Hope Mills [picture] Officers who were murdered while making a traffic stop for a stolen vehicle on I-95 in Cumberland County on Sept. 27, 1997.
Richard Petty US 220 in Northern Randolph County, near Level Cross NASCAR legend, won an unprecented 200 races over his career and Seven Winston Cup Championships
General Henry Hugh Shelton NC 122 from US 258 near Tarboro to Edgecombe/Halifax County line [picture] Former Army Green Beret and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Clinton Presidency. Native of the tiny town of Speed.
Doc and Merle Watson US 421 from Boone to Deep Gap near Blue Ridge Parkway Native of Deep Gap and legendary folk musician whose songs mixed traditional Appalchain folk tunes with other musical styles. Annual MerleFest music festival, named after his son who died in a tractor accident, attracts thousands of people to nearby Wilkesboro every spring.


All shield images courtesy of Shields Up! by David Kendrick. URL: http://www.kendrick.org/shields-up/

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