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Read How a Road Gets Built for information about the road construction process in North Carolina.
The following checklist is intended to assist planners and engineers in developing an off-road construction project from the initial stages through to completion. The items included on the checklist are routine steps that are normally followed once a proposed trail construction project has been approved.
The first step is to perform a feasibility study, or preliminary engineering assessment, of the proposed project. Feasibility studies are an effective means of determining a more accurate scope of work, including possible construction impacts on historic structures or environmentally sensitive areas. It is desirable to perform the feasibility study early in the project development process.
In order to prepare construction plans for the proposed off-road facility, it is strongly recommended that a survey of topographic features including existing terrain, streams and man-made structures be conducted in order to produce accurate horizontal and vertical alignments. The survey should also note property ownership boundaries, existing rights of way as well as both above and below ground utilities.
- Feasibility study
- Initial meeting and site visit
- Gather data
- Survey of proposed center line alignment should include a set of cross-sections taken at 50-foot and 100-foot increments (50-foot in critical areas).
- Average Daily Traffic Counts (ADTs), for on-road sections of bikeway
- Environmental information, if applicable, regarding coastal areas (Coastal Area Management Act), endangered species, archeological sites and historic properties, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), fish and wildlife, wetlands, soils investigation, flood plain delineation, etc.
- Right-of-way (ROW) or easement documentation must be done according to federal aid requirements.
- Preliminary plans
- Pavement design
- Preliminary estimate
- Prepare project report, documentation of environmental information, and reimbursement agreement. This is the next major step in the process and should take 8-12 weeks to complete once the necessary information has been collected.
- Approval of final plans and estimate
- Funding account set-up
- Notice to proceed
- Erosion control approval (local)
- Bid process
- Construction
- Inspection of completed project
- Reimbursement