Local road projects OK'd by board
By Steve Herring
Published in News on June 7, 2015 1:50 AM
Two interchange projects on U.S. 117 South that one day could be part of an extended Interstate 795 are included in the 2016-2025 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) approved this past week by the N.C. Board of Transportation.
The U.S. 117 interchange projects are at Country Club Road north of Mount Olive and O'Berry Road at Dudley.
The plan calls for right-of-way acquisition to begin in 2018 followed by construction in 2020 for the $9.276 million O'Berry Road project.
The Country Club Road project is expected to cost $12.390 million. Right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to start in 2019 and construction in 2021.
The actual construction of I-795 is not included in the plan. But a feasibility study is under way on upgrading the U.S. 117 corridor from Ash Street to I-40 in Sampson County to become I-795.
An economic impact study also is being done.
The goal is to extend I-795 from Goldsboro south to Interstate 40 in Sampson County just west of Faison.
The upgrade would require a new roadway from Ash Street to south of Goldsboro with the remainder using the existing U.S. 117 South.
Bipartisan bills were filed in April in the U.S. Senate and House to designate the U.S. 70 and U.S. 117 highway corridors as future interstates.
The inclusion of the interchanges is "good news" for Wayne County and local efforts to extend I-795, said Wayne County Commissioner Joe Daughtery, chairman of the commission's Transportation Committee.
"We have got to eat this elephant one bite at a time," he said. "If we get the overpasses done going down toward I-40, we will have made a great deal of progress toward getting the Interstate (795). Getting the overpasses in place, the overall project cost goes down as a total project."
Daughtery said he has heard that the total cost would be $250 million.
Daughtery said it is hoped that the timetable for the two interchange projects can be accelerated, particularly if the federal bills pass that would provide funding as well.
I-795 runs between Wilson and U.S. 70 in Goldsboro. When first completed, it was a four-lane U.S. 117 before it received the interstate designation.
The STIP is a 10-year state and federally mandated plan that identifies the construction funding for and scheduling of transportation projects throughout the state.
The plan, which is updated every two years, also includes several Goldsboro projects:
* U.S. 70 Business (East Ash Street) from Berkeley Boulevard east to the U.S. 70 Bypass, widen to multi-lanes; right-of-way acquisition in 2020; construction 2022; estimated cost, $20.091 million.
* U.S. 13 (Berkeley Boulevard) realignment of Central Heights Road at Berkeley Boulevard; right-of-way acquisition in 2019; construction, 2021; estimated cost $1.545 million.
* Royall Avenue, from U.S. 117 Business (William Street) to Spence Avenue, construct sidewalk on north side; construction, 2024; estimated cost $476,000.
* U.S. 117 (William Street) from U.S. 70 Bypass to Fedelon Trail, widen roadway, make safety improvements; right-of-way acquisition in 2019; construction, 2020; estimated cost, $21.947 million.
* Wayne Memorial Drive from New Hope Road to new U.S. 70 Bypass, widen to multi-lanes, right-of-way acquisition in 2022; construction, 2024/2025; estimated cost $13.7 million.
* New Hope Road from Wayne Memorial Drive to Miller's Chapel Road, widen to multi-lanes; right-of-way acquisition in 2025; construction date not set; estimated cost $49.190 million.
* U.S. 13 (Berkeley Boulevard) from Royall Avenue to north of Hood Swamp Road, widen to multi-lanes. The $15.687 million project is broken down into sections.
Section A between Royall Avenue and New Hope Road is under way. The B section runs from New Hope Road to north of Hood Swamp Road. Right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to begin in 2023, and construction in 2025.