NCDOT will have an open house Nov. 15 on a proposal to widen a stretch of this highway in Harnett and Wake counties.
ANGIER – The N.C. Department of Transportation is soliciting public feedback on a proposal to widen 11 miles of N.C. 55 in Harnett and Wake counties and build a bypass around downtown Angier.
The proposal calls for widening the two-lane highway into four lanes with a raised median.
The open house will be 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, at Angier Baptist Church, 155 S. Hickory St. At the informal meeting, departmental representatives will display preliminary design maps, field questions and accept comments about the proposal.
The project rose through the State Transportation Improvement Program based on a need for easing congestion and improving safety. Land acquisition for the project’s portion between Oak Grove Church Road in Harnett County and Jicarilla Lane in Wake County is estimated to begin in 2020, followed by the start of construction two years later. The section of the project between Jicarilla Lane and N.C. 42 is currently unfunded. The department is currently rescoring this section through the prioritization process of the state’s Strategic Transportation Investment law.
The proposed route would begin near Oak Grove Church Road and follow the existing highway north to approximately Ennis Road. From there, the highway would go onto a new location just west of downtown Angier. It would rejoin N.C. 55 near the Wake/Harnett County line.
NCDOT selected the route after reviewing more than 200 comments from last year’s open house, as well as analyzing the projected traffic volumes and reviewing both environmental and human impacts on the alternatives. By building a bypass, the project would avoid impacting businesses through downtown Angier.
The department will accept comments on the proposal through Nov. 29. The comments will be reviewed and considered for the final design. They may be sent to Kim Gillespie, a project manager at NCDOT, at 919-707-6023; klgillespie@ncdot.gov; or Central Project Delivery, 1595 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C., 27699-1595.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Lauren Putnam at lnputnam1@ncdot.gov or 919-707-6072.
People who speak Spanish and 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.