After Pittsboro, US 15/US 501 becomes an expressway, connecting the cities of Chapel Hill and Durham; this section of the route is famous because of the two universities it connects: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. Though the road is a symbol of the separation of the Carolina–Duke rivalry, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has been trying to remedy that by making the route a superstreet for better traffic flow.
The stretch of US 15/US 501 between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill/Durham is notable because it spans two prominent educational institutions: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. While the road has historically represented the rivalry between these two universities, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is attempting to mitigate this by redesigning the route as a superstreet to enhance traffic efficiency.