New Hanover County expected to see major freight growth under NCDOT projections
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina is preparing for a significant increase in freight movement over the next three decades, with state transportation officials projecting the value of goods moving through the state will more than double by 2055.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation held a public meeting Thursday in Wilmington as it updates its Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan, a federally required strategy that guides freight transportation investments and priorities. The plan is updated every four years.
“It’s important for our economy and making sure that we are moving efficiently and effectively,” said Pam Cook, statewide initiatives engineer with NCDOT.
According to NCDOT projections, freight transportation in North Carolina is expected to increase by more than 1 billion tons between 2022 and 2055. During that same period, the value of freight moving into, out of and within the state is projected to grow by more than 115% to approximately $2.9 trillion.
Officials said plastics and rubber are expected to see the largest increase in trade value, followed by machinery and pharmaceutical products.
“What are the needs in your area? What are things that we need to think about when we are identifying those key freight corridors,” Cook said.
Most freight in North Carolina currently moves by truck, followed by rail, air and water transportation. Officials said those differences are especially important when planning for regions like the Cape Fear, where the Port of Wilmington plays a major role in the state’s supply chain.
“We know that the freight needs in eastern North Carolina, especially here in Wilmington with the port, are very different than the freight needs in western North Carolina,” Cook said.
NCDOT projects New Hanover County will experience one of the state’s largest increases in freight volume by 2055, with an additional 17 million tons of freight expected to move through the county.
Cook said the North Carolina State Ports Authority is a key partner in developing the freight plan, particularly as it pursues a proposal to deepen the Wilmington Harbor to accommodate larger cargo ships.
“As we do future projections — freight growth in the way of trucks — that’s dependent upon a lot of the growth in the ports,” Cook said.
After gathering public input, NCDOT plans to release a draft of the updated Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan in September.
