ROANOKE RAPIDS – The N.C. Department of Transportation will widen a 1.3-mile stretch of N.C. 125 and extend Premier Boulevard along Interstate 95 in Halifax County.
The department this month awarded a $24.5 million contract to W.C. English Inc. of Lynchburg, Va. to construct four lanes and a raised median along N.C. 125 between I-95 at exit 171 and Old Farm Road in Roanoke Rapids.
As part of the project, Premier Boulevard will be extended southward and parallel to I-95 to where the contractor will realign the intersection of N.C. 125 and Three Bridges Road. The realignment will allow the department to install a traffic light at the new intersection, which also will connect Sheraton Drive with the planned extension of Premier Boulevard. Also, the contractor will extend American Legion Road from N.C. 125 to the new portion of Premier Boulevard.
The widening of N.C. 125 and the extension of the two roads will improve mobility, ease congestion and accommodate future traffic growth. The median along N.C. 125 will increase safety by reducing left turns and redirecting motorists when leaving their homes or businesses.
Construction can begin after Dec. 3, and the contractor will have the project substantially completed and the new roads opened by the fall of 2021.
This is one of 14 road and bridge projects the department recently awarded. The contracts went to the lowest qualified bidder, as required by state law. They are worth $507.7 million, which is $12 million under engineer estimates.