Fayetteville Outer Loop Finally Complete, as I-295 Now Fully Operational

A project more than 25 years in the making has officially come full circle, as the Fayetteville Outer Loop - aka Interstate 295 - is now complete.

State and local leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the final stretch of the Fayetteville Outer Loop - the last 5-mile piece of what is now the 39-mile Interstate 295 encircling the region. The newly completed section, which connects Raeford Road to Camden Road, opened five months ahead of schedule, just in time for the busy holiday travel season.

Perched atop the fresh asphalt, N.C. Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson joined area officials for the ceremonial ribbon cutting. More than 200 people filled the roadway to watch as state leaders marked the moment that’s been decades in the making.

"Interstate 295 is transforming how people travel, improving highway safety and opening new areas to development and commerce," Ralph Huff, Highway Division 6 representative on the N.C. Board of Transportation said.

Minutes after the ceremony wrapped, crews pulled away the barricades, officially opening the road to drivers eager to take advantage of a smoother, faster route around the city.

The Outer Loop has been steadily taking shape since 1999, when construction began on the very first segment between Ramsey Street and River Road, including new bridges over the Cape Fear River. That stretch opened in 2003 with its own fanfare, kicking off a decades-long effort to build westward and link one new section at a time. Today, the highway carries more than 40,000 vehicles a day.

With the final segment now open, I-295 runs from I-95 Exit 58 in Eastover to I-95 Exit 38 in northern Robeson County, offering a complete bypass that local officials say will ease congestion, improve safety, and boost growth opportunities across Cumberland and Robeson counties.