RALEIGH – More than 1,700 projects are included in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s final draft of its 2020-2029 transportation plan, which was released this week. The draft State Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, includes projects across all transportation modes and in every county in the state.
The complete draft STIP list can be found on the NCDOT website.
In Division 7, which includes Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange and Rockingham counties, there are 180 projects. Among them are:
- In Orange County, widen I-40 to six lanes between N.C. 86 and the Durham County line, with construction to begin in 2022;
- In Orange County, widen South Churton Street between I-40 and Orange Grove Road, construction to start in 2023;
- In Alamance County, improve intersection of U.S. 70 (South Church Street) and University Drive, and widen U.S. 70 between University Drive and Westbrook Avenue in Burlington, construction to start in 2023; and
- In Guilford and Rockingham counties, upgrade 16 miles of U.S. 29 to interstate standards between Hicone Road in Greensboro and U.S. 158/N.C. 14 in Reidsville, construction to start in 2027.
“More people continue to move to and travel through our region, and these projects and others included in the draft transportation improvement plan address that growth,” Division Engineer Mike Mills said. “We’re excited to be able to improve our roads and travel conditions on them.”
The department's 10-year transportation plan is updated every two years. Projects scheduled in the first six years of the plan are considered committed and are not re-evaluated when a new plan is developed. Projects in the final four years of each plan are prioritized again based on technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.
The overall statewide list includes 1,319 highway projects, 86 aviation, 234 bike and pedestrian, six ferry, 23 public transit and 50 rail projects selected on statewide, regional and division levels. The projects were prioritized based on technical data as well as input from local officials and residents.
Included in the draft STIP plan are more than 200 projects worth about $2.5 billion that are expected to be awarded in fiscal year 2019-2020.
The draft plan includes 385 changes in highway projects from the initial draft STIP. Some are new projects, while others have had schedule adjustments.
The Board of Transportation is expected to consider final approval of the draft plan at its September meeting.
More information about the STIP and how transportation projects are funded is available on the NCDOT website.