NORTH WILKESBORO – The N.C. Department of Transportation has big plans for an important section of U.S. 601 in Surry County.
The initial designs to widen U.S. 601 between Interstate 74 and Cody Trail will be displayed at a public meeting from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, at Temple Baptist Church at 3615 Rockford Street.
The initial design plans for the project will transform 6.2 miles of the two-lane road into a four-lane highway with a 46-foot median for safety, and directional crossovers and median-U-turns so drivers may safely cross the highway or change directions to reach a destination.
The project is included in the Surry County Comprehensive Transportation Plan adopted by local officials. It received support for funding from Northwest Piedmont Regional Planning Organization — an organization comprised of local officials including representatives from Surry County — and was funded in latest version of the State Transportation Improvement Program.
The project would improve the capacity and safety of the U.S. 601 corridor, which carries an average of 15,000 vehicles per day near U.S. 74 and 4,600 near Cody Trail Road. Without improvements, the corridor would be over capacity and below an acceptable level of service by 2040.
A current schedule calls for right-of-way acquisition to start in 2019 and construction to begin one year later.
Initial design maps are available on the NCDOT
public meetings webpage. They will also be displayed at the public meeting. No formal presentation will be made. But NCDOT officials and representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. All comments will be considered as plans develop. They will be accepted until Dec. 1
Contact Ramie Shaw, Division 11 Project Team Lead, at rashaw@ncdot.gov, 336-903-9134 or P.O. Box 250, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 with those comments or for more information.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons wishing to participate. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at magallagher@ncdot.gov, 919-707-6069, or 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699 as early as possible so arrangements can be made.
Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.