Contributed
HOPE MILLS – Travel south of Fayetteville became easier Wednesday, after another section of Interstate 295 opened to traffic.
Contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation removed the barrels and barricades Wednesday afternoon, partially opening the Camden Road interchange (Exit 7) outside Hope Mills.
“Today marks another milestone toward the completion of the Fayetteville Outer Loop,” said Grady Hunt, a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation who lives in Robeson County. “This is a critical corridor for our region of the state, for Fort Liberty and for continued economic growth and better highway access.”
This section totals 6.3 miles, but two of those miles – from Parkton Road (Exit 2) to Black Ridge Road (Exit 4) – were opened to traffic in 2022.
For the first time, people can now hop onto I-295 South at Camden Road and drive onto I-95 South (see picture below) at Exit 38 in northern Robeson County near the Cumberland County line.
However, drivers on I-95 North will not be able to access I-295 in Robeson County and vice versa (I-295 South ramps to I-95 North also will remain closed) until next summer, when the interstate’s widening to eight lanes between mile markers 37 and 41 is scheduled to be completed.
Last Section Under Construction
For now, drivers using I-295 North will have to exit at Camden Road. A contractor is constructing the final section, which will fully open the Raeford Road (Exit 12) interchange and include Strickland Bridge Road’s Exit 11.
This final segment, which will tie into Camden Road, is expected to be finished by the spring of 2026, when the entire 39-mile Outer Loop corridor will be completed.
People can learn more about the I-295 project on this NCDOT page.
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