The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has included more than 1,600 transportation projects in the state's draft 2020-2029 transportation plan, which was released last week.
The State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is NCDOT's proposed funding and construction schedule for projects to be completed during the next 10 years. The plan is updated every two years, and projects scheduled in the first five of the plan are considered committed and are not re-evaluated. However, projects in the final five years of the 10-year plan are prioritized again, along with suggested new projects. The state's Board of Transportation is expected to consider final approval of the draft plan this summer.
The draft STIP includes projects in all 100 counties in the state. It features projects across all modes of transportation, including: 1,266 highway, 86 aviation, 235 bicycle and pedestrian, six ferry, 23 public transit and 47 rail. Projects were selected based on technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.
A few of the major projects in the draft plan include:
- Upgrading 15 miles of U.S. 64 to I-87 in Nash and Edgecombe counties;
- Constructing part of the U.S. 74 Wadesboro Bypass in Anson County;
- Improving I-77 south of Charlotte in Mecklenburg County;
- Constructing the I-26 Connector in Buncombe County;
- Widening I-40 in Orange County between I-85 to U.S. 15-501; and
- Upgrading U.S. 29 to I-785 in Guilford and Rockingham counties
Each of the department’s 14 highway divisions will schedule an in-house week-long public comment session in February or March during normal business hours. The sessions will serve as opportunities for interested residents to review maps and handouts about the projects, ask questions of local NCDOT staff, and submit comments. There also will be an opportunity for residents to submit comments online.
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Source: NCDOT
