is directed onto both its newer bypass route which is a rural controlled access highway bypassing most of Greenville, and its suburbs Ayden, Winterville, and other small communities. It also gives drivers on NC 11 access to I-587 and US 264. And its mainline route, which on the other hand, is a rural partial controlled access highway bypassing the same surrounding towns, but it instead also serves as an arterial thoroughfare going through central Greenville. With the exception of a stretch between Kinston and Greenville, most of NC 11 is largely a disused rural route. All other major sections are cosigned with more major U.S. Highways, including a stretch of US 421 near the southern terminus and US 13 north of Greenville. As a through route, US 258 or US 13 travel along the same general directions, but appear to be better maintained and closer to major population centers. The central segment is mostly four lanes and divided, although not controlled access. History NC 11 was established in 1921 as an original state highway, traveling northeasterly from NC 40, in Kenansville, to NC 10, in Kinston; then continuing north, through Greenville, to NC 90, in Bethel. Around 1930, NC 11 was extended north on new primary routing to NC 125, in Oak City, via Hassell. In 1940, NC 11 was extended south from Kenansville to Tin City, replacing part of US 117; then with a short concurrency with US 117, it travels to the North Carolina Coastal Experimental Station (agriculture testing facility), replacing NC 401. In 1942, NC 11 was rerouted to a more direct route between Bethel and Oak City; its old alignment through Hassell was downgraded to secondary roads (today NC 42 and Hassell Road). By 1942, the first rerouting of NC 11 through Kinston took place; the original alignment was crossing over the Neuse River via Caswell Street, north on Queen Street, east on Vernon Avenue and northeast on Minerva Street. The realignment begins in Jacksons Store with concurrency with NC 55 going east along Tyree Road to US 258, from there continuing north into Kinston along Queen Street; the old alignment along Caswell Street is downgraded to secondary road. By 1948, NC 11/NC 55 was rerouted east onto King Street, north on East Street, east on Washington Avenue and then northeast on Minerva Street; the old alignment through central Kinston became NC 11A. In 1952, NC