ABERDEEN – Road sections in Hoke, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland and Lee counties, which are part of Highway Division 8, will be widened and some intersections improved, thanks to a new way to pay for smaller highway projects.
The N.C. Department of Transportation worked with the General Assembly last year to establish the Mobility/Modernization Fund as a way to speed up smaller-scale road work outside of the Strategic Transportation Investments process, which is how other projects are prioritized and built. A portion of this new fund, called the High Impact/Low Cost Project Program, provides about $1.7 million a year for each of the state’s 14 highway divisions.
“It’s great that we have this new fund to pay for these kind of projects that are important to a community,” said Patrick Molamphy, the state transportation board member for Division 8.
The Division 8 engineer, Brandon Jones, said the bulk of the money would be used to add two feet of paved shoulder on each side of the following state highways or secondary routes over the next two years. The additional pavement will improve traffic safety.
Montgomery County: N.C. 24/27 between Interstate 73/74 and the Moore County line, and N.C. 73 between Richmond and Moore county lines;
Richmond County: N.C. 73 between I-73/74 and the Montgomery County line, and N.C. 381 between Grace Chapel Road and Scotland County line;
Lee County: Lemon Springs Road between Edwards and Castleberry roads, and Franklin Drive between Henley and Pendergrass roads; and
Hoke County: Davis Bridge Road between the Robeson County line and Camden; a traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Davis Bridge and Arabia roads.
In all, 11 projects in the division were chosen, after NCDOT’s Division 8 staff consulted with local officials on area Metropolitan and Rural Planning organizations to develop criteria. Other projects include:
Scotland County: Improving the traffic flow at the intersection of U.S. 401 (McColl Road) and U.S. 74 at Exit 183 by adding a traffic signal to the eastbound ramp and making it easier for vehicles to make turns at the ramps; adding a traffic signal to the westbound ramp at Exit 184 of U.S. 401 Business and U.S. 74 and increasing the turning area at the ramps; and realigning the intersection of N.C. 144 and Old Wire Road to improve safety.
Hoke County: Straightening what is now an angled intersection of Calloway and Carolina roads to improve visibility.
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