ðə nˈɔːɹðɚn ˈɑːɹk wʌz dɪskˈʌst ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti z ænd ˈɜːli tˈuː θˈaʊzənd z æz ɐ bˈaɪpæs fɔːɹ aɪ tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv ɪn ɐtlˈæntə ænd hˈaɪweɪ twˈɛnti ɪn bˈɑːɹɾoʊ, tʃˈɛɹoʊkˌiː, ænd fɔːɹsˈɪθ kˈaʊntiz.
The Northern Arc was discussed in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a bypass for I-285 in Atlanta and Highway 20 in Bartow, Cherokee, and Forsyth Counties.