NEW BERN - Another section of U.S. 70 in eastern North Carolina will be upgraded to interstate standards after a contract was awarded this month.
The contract, worth more than $203 million, will eliminate the existing signalized intersections on U.S. 70 at Williams Road, Airport Road, Grantham Road, Taberna Way and Thurman Road in James City by taking U.S. 70 over these side roads and providing access via ramps.
This is a design-build project with Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., which means the contractor is teamed up with a design firm to assist in the design of the project. This method allows innovation and a reduced schedule since the designer and contractor are working hand-in-hand, and while construction is under way on some sections of the highway, design work is continuing for other sections.
Right-of-way acquisition is expected to start in 2020 and construction is expected to start the following year. The work is expected to be complete in the fall of 2023.
The project is part of the plan to upgrade U.S. 70 to Interstate 42, linking Raleigh and Morehead City. It will be a more convenient route to the central part of the coast and serve as a faster potential evacuation route to head west.