​WILLIAMSTON – A project to widen 10.6 miles of U.S. 17 in Martin and Beaufort counties will get underway this summer, thanks to an $86 million contract recently awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The contract, awarded to Branch Civil of Roanoke, VA, will widen the highway from just north of N.C. 171 near the Old Ford community to the existing four lanes just south of Williamston.
Under the terms of the contract, work can begin on the project as early as July. Final completion of the project is scheduled for the summer of 2026. Work to relocate utility lines along the project corridor is already underway.