The N.C. Department of Transportation is distributing over $154 million in Powell Bill funds to help 508 municipalities. Powell Bill funds are used primarily by cities and towns in North Carolina to resurface streets. The state funds are distributed each year by NCDOT. The photo shows crews resurfacing a road in Cumberland County.
The N.C. Department of Transportation is distributing over $154 million in Powell Bill funds to help 508 municipalities. Powell Bill funds are used primarily by cities and towns in North Carolina to resurface streets. The state funds are distributed each year by NCDOT. The photo shows crews resurfacing a road in Cumberland County.
NCDOT will distribute $154 million in Powell Bill funds
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation is distributing more than $154.9 million in state street aid, or Powell Bill funds, to help 508 municipalities resurface streets and make other transportation improvements.
The Powell Bill funds, which the NCDOT distributes twice each fiscal year, are also used to maintain, repair, build or widen streets, bridges and drainage areas, as well as plan, build and maintain bicycle paths, greenways or sidewalks.
The first half of the funds will be distributed this week. The other half will be paid by Jan. 1.
“The Powell Bill provides communities with funding vital to much-needed transportation improvements,” said Joey Hopkins, NCDOT’s chief operating officer. “Cities and towns will be able to use these funds on many transportation projects that drive North Carolina’s economy and improve its quality of life.”
State law requires that the North Carolina General Assembly appropriate these funds to NCDOT from the State Highway Fund. Each year, North Carolina municipalities interested in receiving funding must submit a report to NCDOT. Towns and cities certify that they meet certain requirements outlined in the law, including that they levied property taxes during the current fiscal year and adopted a budget.
The amount each municipality receives is based on a formula set by state law, with 75 percent of the funds based on population and 25 percent based on the number of municipality-maintained street miles.
The fund is named for Junius K. Powell, a former state senator and mayor of Whiteville. Powell was the primary sponsor of the 1951 bill to help the state’s cities with urban road problems. The first allocation of Powell Bill funds was $4.5 million and was distributed to 386 municipalities.
A complete list of the municipalities receiving Powell Bill funds during the 2023-24 round can be found here.
More information about the Powell Bill program is on the NCDOT website.
Other NCDOT Announcements:
This Week at NCDOT: Military Cutoff Road Extension, Litter Sweep, Panther Train & NC Career Expo
RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department’s weekly newscast.
Military Cutoff Road Extension
This week in Wilmington, state transportation officials and other state and local leaders celebrated the opening of the Military Cutoff Road Extension.
The extension adds over four miles of roadway connecting Market Street to N.C. 140.
Years in the making, the extension will help ease traffic around the northern part of Wilmington.
Litter Sweep
North Carolina Department of Transportation Staff did their part to keep North Carolina beautiful, by picking up litter in the Wilmington area during the Fall Litter Sweep.
Over the past two years, NCDOT has collected nearly 20 million pounds of roadside litter.
Although the fall litter sweep is ending, you can still play an important part in keeping our roadways clean year-round. Learn more by going to NCDOT.gov and searching “Litter”.
Panther Train
With the return of Carolina Panthers football, NC By Train is making it easier than ever to see a game.
For select game days, football fans have two options to get to Charlotte before the 1 p.m. kickoff.
Piedmont Train 71 will get fans to Charlotte around 9:30 a.m., with plenty of time to enjoy pre-game festivities before the 1 p.m. kickoff, and Piedmont Train 73 will get fans to Charlotte around noon.
Visit NCByTrain.org for tickets and full train schedules.
NC Career Expo
The 2023 State of North Carolina Career Expo will be held on Wednesday Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center in Raleigh.
Recruiters from NCDOT and other state agencies will be available to chat with and interview participants. Participants can also learn about career opportunities during several information sessions.
For more information, visit this webpage.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.
**VOTE FOR NC!** NCDOT’s advance flood-warning system is a finalist in the 2023 America’s Transportation Awards competition. Vote here and help NCDOT win $10,000 to be donated to charity.
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