03/28/2024
NC DOT
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Open house is Nov. 13

NC DOTBENSON – The N.C. Department of Transportation is proposing to build a mini roundabout in downtown Benson to reduce crashes and improve pedestrian safety.

The department will hold a public meeting in November on the proposed improvement at the intersection of Wall Street (U.S. 301) and Main Street (N.C. 50). Pedestrian crosswalks also would be installed as part of the proposal. Benson last year adopted a resolution supporting the project. A mini roundabout reduces impacts to surrounding properties.

At an informal open house on Nov. 13, NCDOT representatives will display maps of the roundabout, answer questions and collect comments. The meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Benson Town Hall, 303 E. Church St.

There were 56 crashes, including eight involving injuries, in the intersection during the last 10 years. Most of the crashes involved rear-end, left-turn and T-boned collisions. Because roundabouts require drivers to slow down, the improvement is intended to reduce the number and severity of crashes.

The department submitted the project to the Federal Highway Administration, which agreed to fund its estimated $629,000 cost through the agency’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. The data-driven program aims to reduce fatalities and serious crashes.

Comments about the proposal will be accepted through Nov. 27. To send comments or ask questions about the project, contact Addison Gainey, an NCDOT project manager, at 252-640-6428; or nagainey@ncdot.gov, or P.O. Box 3165, Wilson, N.C. 27895.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Lauren Putnam at lnputnam1@ncdot.gov or 919-707-6072.

People who speak Spanish and do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.

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