American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in May 2005 following an earlier approval by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Signs designation "Future I-295" were put up along the route when the section between I-95 and River Road was opened in July 2005. The first short section of this highway had opened earlier in June 2003, and it extended only from River Road to US 401. Then, the only mentions of a highway number were on street signs at the entrance ramps that said I-295 (with an additional "FUTURE" on some). In May 2019, the FHWA officially added the then open of NC 295 to the Interstate System, this follows up on approval by AASHTO late 2018. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) may have received a waiver since two parts of it (namely the bridge that crosses the Cape Fear River and its interchange with I-95) are not quite up to Interstate Highway standards. Construction on the next section of I-295, located from US 401 to the All American Freeway, was scheduled to start in the later months of 2008, and then probably completed by early 2012, but this construction project was put on hold in November 2008 due to the severe shortage of money for highway construction in North Carolina at that time and extending though 2011. Instead of constructing this segment as one contract, work was split up into three smaller segments. Work first started in 2009 on the section from Bragg Boulevard (NC 24) to Murchison Road (NC 210) using federal stimulus monies. This was completed in 2014. In March 2011, a contract to construct the portion of the loop between US 401 and Murchison Road was awarded to a construction company; however, this did not include final paving. The contract for paving was issued in 2014 and is scheduled to be completed during mid-2016, delayed from April 2014. On August 4, 2014, a new section of the Fayetteville Outer Loop opened between Murchison Road and Bragg Boulevard. Considered critical in relieving congestion around Fort Bragg, this section traverses eastbound along collector–distributor lanes between the two exits, while westbound uses an actual stretch of the freeway. Signage along this stretch reflected a rerouting of NC 24/NC 87. On August 11, 2016, a new section opened between Murchison Road and Ramsey Street, connecting the two existing segments of the Fayetteville Outer Loop together. Another