Roads in Brunswick County
In North Carolina, counties do not own or maintain roads per the NC General Statutes.
Taxes paid to Brunswick County do not pay for any road maintenance or the construction of new roads.
Brunswick County does not have control over road access, maintenance problems, the building of new roads, planning for new roads, or the upkeep of stormwater and ditches along roadways.
Types of Roads
Roads are designated as public OR private.
Public Roads: Public roads in Brunswick County are owned, maintained, built, and dedicated to either the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) or a Municipality. NCDOT or the Municipality is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the roadway. (Brunswick County does not control stormwater conveyance along NCDOT roadways.)
Private Roads: If a road is not public, then it is a private road that is privately-owned by an organization like an HOA or POA, by a person, by several people, or by a Corporation/LLC. The designated owner is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the roadway.
To determine if your road is a public or private road, use Brunswick County’s road lookup map. Type your street name in the search bar to learn if your road is maintained by NCDOT or falls within municipal limits.
Road Maintenance
| State | If your road is a State/NCDOT road, contact NCDOT to report a concern. |
| Municipal | If the road is located inside municipal limits and you think the road might be a municipal (city/town/village) street, contact that municipality for confirmation or to report a concern. |
| Private | If the road is not a State road and is not a municipal road, or is outside municipal limits, then it is privately-owned. The owner or owners of privately-owned roads are responsible for their maintenance and upkeep. |
Note: Even though a road may be privately funded, it is still available for the use of the public.
If requested, Brunswick County Emergency Services staff will assess a privately-owned road’s condition to determine whether emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire trucks, etc.) can access properties on the road. If emergency vehicles cannot access properties along the road, Brunswick County will let these property owners know and encourage them to take the steps necessary to repair and maintain the road. To request an assessment, call 910-253-5383.
Street maps are available for purchase in the Brunswick County GIS office.
Road Resources
Road Lookup
Discover if your road is state-maintained, maintained by a municipality, or privately-maintained.
NCDOT Road Database
Additional resources to determine if your road is maintained by NCDOT.
Contact NCDOT
Have an issue with a State-maintained road? Submit a concern to NCDOT.
DriveNC
View real-time travel information in your area, including scheduled maintenance for State roads.
Transportation Resources
NCDOT Projects
Learn more about NCDOT transportation projects in Brunswick County.
Brunswick Transit
Learn more about public transit offered by Brunswick Transit System, Inc. (BTS) in Brunswick County.
STIP
View information about the current and draft State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
CTP
Learn more about the Brunswick County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP).
Road Maintenance Projects – News & Updates
NCDOT: Preservation Project on Cape Fear Memorial Bridge to Temporarily Close Parts of Bridge
A preservation project, to extend the life of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, will temporarily close portions of the bridge in the coming months. Built in 1967, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is reaching the end of its lifecycle and must be monitored, inspected, and maintained on a more frequent basis. Daily inspections of the steel vertical-lift bridge have shown the need to conduct longer-lasting improvements. The work scheduled to begin in early 2024 will repair the moveable bridge deck.
NCDOT: Brunswick County Intersection to Become All-Way Stop
On October 10, 2023, the N.C. Department of Transportation plans to make the intersection of Thomasboro and Persimmon roads an all-way stop. Currently, drivers on Thomasboro Road do not stop, so crews will install signage and pavement markings on both sides of the roadway. Drivers are urged to slow down while crews are working and be cautious of the new traffic pattern. Visit DriveNC.gov for real-time travel information.
NCDOT Update: Midway Road Bridge Open to Traffic
A section of N.C. 906 (Midway Road SE) near U.S. 17 Business (Old Ocean Highway) south of Bolivia has been closed since Oct. 2022 to allow NCDOT crews to replace an aging bridge. The new expected completion date is July 14, 2023.