I-295 Connection for Camden Road to I-95 Now Partially Open Near Hope Mills

It's seemed like forever, but you can finally get on Interstate 295 from Interstate 95 near Hope Mills, at least partially.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation removed the barricades at the Camden Road interchange near Exit 38 of I-95 in Robeson County. The catch - for now - is that only the interchanges for I-95 South and I-295 South are open.

"Today marks another milestone toward the completion of the Fayetteville Outer Loop," Grady Hunt, a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation who lives in Robeson County, said in a news release. “This is a critical corridor for our region of the state, for Fort Liberty and for continued economic growth and better highway access."

You can now get on I-295 South at Camden Road, and go to I-95 South at Exit 38. And you can also now get off I-95 South at Exit 38, to head toward Camden Road. The Northbound versions will open next summer, when the widening of I-95 is completed between mile markers 37 and 41.

The last segment of I-295 is expected to open in the Spring of 2026, which will complete the I-295 Outer Loop at 39 miles.

There's been a lot of buzz around the benefits of North Carolina local honey and we here in the Sandhills area are especially lucky because we have the rarest of rare honeys: purple honey.

The Sandhills of North Carolina are thought to be the only place in the world where purple honey is produced! Some say it's the only place on Earth where this mystery of nature is found. The exact cause of the purple color remains unknown, though there are several theories including sourwood trees growing in high aluminum soils, kudzu or titi plants, and muscadine grapes.

However, some beekeepers dispute these, noting the purple honey appears before kudzu blooms and that sourwood is more common in the mountains than the Sandhills. The purple honey has a distinctive fruity, sweet flavor compared to regular honey. It's described as tangy and very sweet with a familiar yet hard to identify fruit undertone. The color is natural, not an additive. It can range from a deep purple to a more bluish hue. The purple honey also tends to be thinner in consistency than regular honey.

Local honey is a delicious and nutritious treat that offers many benefits, especially when sourced from apiaries in your area. Local honey has some great benefits such as allergy relief, which is great news for those of us that suffer during the pollen season. Local honey contains small amounts of pollen from plants in your area. Consuming this honey regularly can help your body build up a tolerance, reducing seasonal allergy symptoms. Antioxidants and nutrients; raw, unprocessed honey is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support overall health and wellness. It's also a cough suppressant! Honey has been shown to be an effective natural cough suppressant, making it a great remedy for sore throats and respiratory issues.

In and around Fayetteville, North Carolina, there are several great options for finding high-quality, locally produced honey. One excellent source is Beehive Yourself, a local business that infuses their honey with healthy flavors. They use all-natural ingredients and take pride in offering a product that not only tastes great but also provides the health benefits associated with raw, local honey.

Another option is Secret Garden Bees in nearby Linden, NC. This veteran owned; family-owned apiary is known for their exceptional raw honey. They take great care in maintaining their hives and extracting the honey in a way that preserves its natural goodness. Local favorite spot for honey goodness is Curate Essentials, located at 1302 Fort Bragg Road in Fayetteville. While not in Fayetteville, King Cobra Apiary in Alamance and Orange Counties offers raw North Carolina honey with no additives that is never heated.

LocalHoneyFinder.org provides a list of North Carolina beekeepers, apiaries, and beehives that sell local honey, raw or pasteurized, honeycombs, beeswax, pollen and more.

There are a few other rare or unique types of honey found in North Carolina besides the famous purple honey:

Sourwood trees grow best for honey production in western North Carolina and northern Georgia. Sourwood honey is considered one of the best and rarest honeys in the world, with an earthy, buttery caramel flavor.

Produced from gallberry bushes in the pine savannas and scrubland of eastern North Carolina. Gallberry honey has a light amber color and a mild, fruity, warm flavor with a slight leafy aftertaste.

Made from the nectar of towering tulip poplar trees in the Piedmont region. Despite its bold, dark amber color, tulip poplar honey has a surprisingly light, buttery flavor.

Similar to purple honey, blue honey is also found rarely by some North Carolina beekeepers, though the cause of the unusual color is unknown.

While not as rare, other notable North Carolina honey varieties include wildflower, clover, apple blossom, and honey made from non-native floral sources like New Zealand plants. The diverse plant life across the state's different regions allows for a wide range of unique honey flavors. However, the changing landscape and decline of some native plants like gallberry bushes and sourwood trees may impact the ongoing production of these rare honey types.