Several local projects included in the state’s next transportation plan

“A strong transportation network is the backbone of the state’s economy,” Governor Pat McCrory said. “We took the politics out of transportation planning to ensure roads and other important infrastructure are prioritized based on need. These projects demonstrate the process is working as intended to make smart decisions that keep North Carolina moving.”

Projects in our area include:

• Improving the intersection of Market Street and New Centre Drive in Wilmington
• Widening Front Street from The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge to Burnett Boulevard
• Building the Hampstead Bypass from 210 to Sloop Point Loop Road
• Widening Hwy 87 from Hwy 11 to Hwy 74/76 in Columbus County

A complete list of projects can be found at NCDOT.gov/STI.

“These projects are helping to fulfill the Governor’s 25-Year Vision for transportation in North Carolina by improving regional connections and enhancing freight movement,” State Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said.

The projects are being paid for under the state’s Strategic Transportation Investments law, which allows the department to use data and local input to fund transportation projects  at three levels: statewide, regionally and locally (also referred to as being at the division level).

The list of projects being funded at the statewide level was released in May and is also available online. Projects funded at the division level are expected to be released in late fall, and after final schedule adjustments, the draft 10-year plan will be made available.

Now that the regional projects have been finalized, another public comment period will be held this fall.

When all project scores are finalized at the statewide, regional and division levels, the top-scoring projects will be scheduled into NCDOT’s next 10-year plan based on available funding and other factors – such as the status of environmental studies – that affect when a project can be completed.

Once the draft plan is released, a public comment period will be held and then the final plan is expected to be adopted by the N.C. Board of Transportation in June 2017.

The department’s 10-year plan is updated every two years using this process. Projects scheduled into the first five years of the plan are considered committed and will not be reevaluated, but projects in the final five years of each 10-year plan will be prioritized again for inclusion in the next plan.