The Kinston Bypass is a project that has been in the planning stages since the 1990s. The project was put on hold until 2007 when NCDOT revitalized the project. While several northern bypasses were planned, in January 2014 the northern bypasses were removed in favor of a southern alternative. The project was de-funded in 2014 with the release of the 2015–2024 State Transportation Improvement Plan, and studies were suspended. With the Super 70/ Interstate 42 project, studies for the southern alternate began again in 2016 and right-of-way acquisition is scheduled for 2022 with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2024. The Kinston bypass will link to the Goldsboro Bypass and existing freeway around LaGrange in the west and the existing freeway section in Craven County to the east. The highway will be between 21 and 25 miles long, and is expected to cost $379 Million.