New Hanover County Commissioners and NCDOT discuss current and future transportation projects.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Whether it’s during rush hour or a Saturday afternoon, traffic is something drivers in New Hanover County deal with on a daily basis.
On Monday, NCDOT Engineer Chad Kimes presented New Hanover County Commissioners a plan for current and future road projects, which excites Commissioner Rob Zapple.
“I think your eyes will pop out of your head; it is all good news for New Hanover County. I know that there has been a lot of funding about issues to the DOT, I know I’ve spoken about it, and you know the DOT has been very candid about it. I think those days have now passed,” said Commissioner Zapple.
During the presentation, Kimes discusses a number of projects. The widening of Gordon Road, the revamping of the Military Cutoff and Eastwood Road Intersection and the soon to open Military Cutoff Extension.
“We’ve all seen those, you know hateful, orange barrels that have kind of controlled our lives. Guess what? They’re all going to go away slowly. But more importantly that connector, the first leg of that, that will be able to take you from Military Cutoff Road all the way to I-40,” said Zapple.
One the biggest, lingering questions, when is a new Cape Fear Memorial Bridge coming?
While options are still being explored for funding, the possibility of adding a toll on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge once again surfaced. Kimes explained how tolling works in terms of building a new bridge and offsetting costs.
“So, you will see all those numbers provided to the WMPO to see if they want to score in a prioritization as a toll. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be tolled. What it could mean is that we throw it into a prioritization and see how that offsets the number and see if we can get any money out of that prioritization,” Kimes explained.
