Planning

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The Transportation Planning Branch (TPB) provides technical assistance to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), small urban areas and counties across North Carolina in the development of Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTP). The CTP is a 20-25 year plan that is based on future land use, employment and population changes in an area. As part of the development of the plan, an environmental screening takes place to ensure that the plan considers important environmental resources. The final plan includes short term and long term recommendations for improvements to the overall transportation system.

The CTP is mutually adopted by the MPOs or local governments (if not in an MPO) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and becomes the blueprint for which transportation infrastructure improvements are made in an area.

The transportation needs identified through the development of the CTP are prioritized by either the MPOs or the Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) and presented to the NC Board of Transportation for programming during the biennial update of the State's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Programming

Based on technical information, priorities from MPOs, RPOs and local governments, and public input, the North Carolina Board of Transportation biennially updates North Carolina's 7 year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Project Development and Environmental Analysis

Before any road construction can begin, the Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch (PDEA) is responsible for the development and preparation of planning and environmental impact studies for all highway projects in the TIP.

The PDEA staff evaluates proposed highway projects according to established engineering practices and guidelines set forth by federal and state laws and regulations. The process includes specialized environmental studies and coordination with the environmental regulatory agencies to ensure appropriate consideration is given to environmental matters. Specialists in such fields as noise and air quality, archaeology, architectural history, biology, land-use planning and sociology provide evaluations regarding the environmental impacts of proposed highway projects. The planning process also involves design and traffic engineering studies, which provide an analysis of highway alternatives to safely, efficiently and economically meet future travel demands.

Citizens are encouraged to participate in the planning process by attending informational workshops, held to obtain public comment and input on proposed highway projects. Comments from citizens are a very important part of the planning process. Citizens' input is evaluated and addressed during the development of highway improvements.

Design

Information collected during the planning process is used to determine the location and type of proposed highway to be constructed. In many instances, several alternatives will be studied. On the basis of citizens' input through public meetings, input from coordination with environmental agencies, and the use of available aerial photography mapping to obtain reliable information on the existing physical area and the environment, planners and designers select a highway location.

Design engineers prepare detailed plans for the highway within the selected location. These plans define the type of highway cross-section, two-lane or multi-lane; the width of right-of-way required; the type of intersections and interchanges; bridges; culverts and other drainage features.

Also, plans identify the type of materials to be used and estimate the quantity of each required to construct the highway. These technical plans allow preparation of contract documents and advertisements for contractors wishing to place bids. The successful low-bid is presented to the Board of Transportation for award; the contractor must meet the criteria specified by the Department.

Right-of-Way

Right-of-way is the process where the NCDOT obtains necessary lands for the construction and improvement of highway projects. This is the last major activity to occur between the completion of design for highway projects and the release of the project to bidders for construction.

In many cases, it is inevitable that a certain amount of private property must be acquired. The displacement of homes and businesses is minimized to the extent practicable. In the acquisition of right-of-way, the NCDOT must treat all property owners with impartiality, fully explain all legal rights, pay just compensation in exchange for property rights, furnish relocation assistance and initiate legal action should a settlement not be reached.

Construction

Once the road design is complete, bids are received for construction on the identified date and are publicly disclosed. The contract is awarded by the Board of Transportation to the lowest responsible bidder. The bidder (private contractor) is then obligated to construct the project in accordance with plan requirements and specifications upon which the bid was received.

NCDOT staff in the Division of Highways administer the contract and provide inspection and testing functions to assure the project is properly constructed4d. A NCDOT resident engineer and his/her staff will interpret plan details and contract requirements, test for quality, check for conformity with contractual requirements and document the quantity of work performed so the contractor can be paid on a monthly basis. The resident engineer and staff also make certain the environment is protected, manage traffic flow along the project, work with adjacent property owners, observe work zone safety and work with state and federal agencies.

Once the project is complete, a final inspection is made by an engineer not involved in the project's construction to verify its proper construction. The highway is then opened to public traffic.