Diverging diamond to create new traffic flow, road, retail in Belville

BELVILLE, NC (WWAY) — At a Belville commissioners meeting Monday the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced the construction timeline for a Diverging Diamond Interchange on Blackwell Road.

The commissioners also got an update on a new shopping center for that area. Construction on NC 133 at the 74/76 ramp may cause some delays now.

“Traffic is a nightmare,” Belville resident Vicki Harper said. “It can be depending on what time of the day you’re coming and going.”

North Carolina’s Department of Transportation hopes a Diverging Diamond Interchange or DDI will ease that flow by November.

Harper says the traffic may be frustrating but it shows how much the town is growing.

“Holy smokes,” Harper said. “It’s unbelievable. When I first moved out here Leland was just a wide place in the road and Belville didn’t exist.”
As it exists now, Harper says Belville just continues to grow.

The DOT is constructing a new Blackwell Road right now and the old Blackwell Road will be permanently closed in early to mid-May. When the DDI is complete there will also be a new traffic flow.

“I’m curious,” Harper said. “I anticipate that there are going to be people that are quite confused with the change in traffic flows, but it’ll work out.”

A new traffic flow and new retail, because at the same time Belville Commons is also under construction to bring new business.

“I love seeing Belville grow,” Harper said. “With the shops it’s going to be you know new people coming in and it’s going to be nice for tourism and for the locals to have places to shop so I think it’s going to be really really good for the area.”

Steve Niemeyer with Belville Properties, LLC says they are working with large regional corporations to bring businesses into those lots, but they are still working with lawyers at this point.

Here is the complete construction timeline for the construction at Blackwell and NC 133 from the DOT.

1. New Blackwell Road is currently under construction.
2. TMP-4 Phase 1 New Blackwell Road is scheduled to open mid-April.
3. TMP-4/4A Phase 1 Main St and old Blackwell Road will be closed permanently early to mid- May.
4. Utility work will be ongoing at the on/off ramps through the end of May.
5. TMP-5 Phase 2 on ramp to US-17-74-76 North bound is scheduled to be open end of June.
6. TMP-5 Phase 2 on ramp to US-17-74-76 South bound is scheduled to be open mid-July.
7. Construction at exit ramps will be ongoing from July through Mid-October.
8. Traffic open to DDI Pattern scheduled for November.