 From the Coast to the Triangle area, NC 50 serves to directly link several cities in the Cape Fear region to the Research Triangle and North Carolina State Capitol.However, because it parallels I-40 along the majority of its route, the highway is typically relegated to local traffic except at its southern end.The highway begins at Florida Avenue (SR 1555), in Topsail Beach, and goes northeast through the southern half of Topsail Island to Surf City, where it crosses over the Intracoastal Waterway and onto the mainland, in concurrency with NC 210.