State transportation officials announced Wednesday several new highway projects for the area, including Interstate 95 in neighboring Robeson County.
State Department of Transportation officials said I-95 would be widened to eight lanes in two sections. One section is between Exit 22 and Exit 40 in Cumberland and Robeson counties and is scheduled to be funded after 2027. The other section is between Exit 71 and Exit 81 in Harnett and Johnston counties, with construction scheduled to begin in 2026. There are also plans to widen to six lanes the All American Freeway in Fayetteville from Owen Drive to north of Santa Fe Drive. Construction is scheduled to begin 2027.
Among the accelerated projects are the upgrading of the I-95 interchange at Carthage Road in Robeson County to begin in 2020 instead of 2022
“Widening Interstate 95 has long been a need in North Carolina for congestion, safety and economic development,” said Terry Hutchens of Fayetteville, the Division 6 member for the state Board of Transportation. “It is great to see portions of I-95 widening funded.”
DOT officials also announced four new projects for Division 8 that includes Scotland Chatham, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph and Richmond counties. All the projects are in the updated version of the state’s draft 10-year transportation plan.
The announcement did not include any road projects in Scotland County.
New projects for the area include:
— The Interstate 73/74 Rockingham Bypass in Richmond County. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026;
— Widening of N.C. 211 between Holly Grove School Road and N.C. 73 in Moore County to begin in 2020 instead of 2022; and
— Widening N.C. 78 (Tramway Road) between U.S. 1/U.S. 15-501 and Lemon Springs Road in Lee County to a multi-lane, divided corridor.
The transportation plan also calls for adding bicycle lanes and improving pedestrian crosswalks along Carthage Street in downtown Sanford, beginning in 2021.
Patrick D. Molamphy, a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation for Division 8, said the Rockingham Bypass is an important link for completing the Interstate 73/74 corridor. Rockingham’s former long-term mayor, Gurney “G.R.” Kindley, first touted the need for the new interstate and bypass in the early 1990s when he was on the state Board of Transportation.
“Adding the Rockingham Bypass is very important to the region,” Molamphy said. “Right now, that is one of the missing links to getting the I-73/74 completed.”
Brandon Jones, the Division 8 Engineer for NCDOT, said the state wants to widen N.C. 211 before the U.S. Open comes to Pinehurst in 2024.
“We’re glad we will be able to accelerate this project to better accommodate the influx of visitors and tourists the golf tournament will bring,” Jones said.
The long-range plan, called the Draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), includes a total of 144 new projects statewide and hundreds of projects with accelerated construction schedules. The adjustments reflect updated financial information, including projected revenues and lower inflation and construction cost overruns.
“Being able to add these projects and accelerate a variety of projects across the state aligns with our goals of expediting project delivery and promoting economic growth to improve quality of life for all North Carolinians,” State Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said in a statement.
The plan was initially scheduled to be approved by the Board of Transportation at its June meeting, but approval was delayed to allow the department to update the document to reflect the changes.
The public comment period on the updated plan runs from June 28 to July 12. Anyone who would like to provide comments should contact Diane Wilson at [email protected] or 919-707-6073.
The final 2018-2027 STIP is expected to be approved by the N.C. Board of Transportation in August.
Information about the STIP and how transportation projects are funded is available online at ncdot.gov/strategictransportationinvestments/.