RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
Donald Ray Tucker Bridge Dedication
Officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation, Sampson County, the city of Clinton, and family and friends, dedicated the bridge on U.S. 421 over N.C. 24 to Donald Ray Tucker.
Tucker was killed in the line of duty while working undercover in Carteret County in 1991. Tucker was an officer with the Clinton Police Department at the time he was killed. He had been serving with the Clinton Police Department for one year.
The bridge dedication was held on Nov. 14, the 31st anniversary of Officer Tucker’s death.
NC By Train Ridership
For the second month in a row, a record has been broken for the number of people riding the train in North Carolina.
NC By Train ridership hit a new monthly high for the second month in a row in October. The number of passengers for The Carolinian and Piedmont trains hit 55,493 in October, which is up from 48,488 riders in September.
That means more people rode the train in September and October than any other months in the passenger rail service’s 32-year history.
During October, many people took the train to The Barbecue Festival in Lexington and the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh.
With the holiday season around the corner, the N.C. Department of Transportation encourages people to skip the traffic and take the train to visit family and friends. NC By Train has large seats, outlets for charging your electronics at each seat, free Wi-Fi, and large windows so passengers can watch the beauty of North Carolina roll by.
Winter Weather Prep
As the weather cools down here in North Carolina, NCDOT is prepared to handle snow and ice on our roads.
NCDOT crews in all 100 counties began preparing for winter weather early this fall. They tested equipment, performed dry runs, and checked to be sure they had enough salt and sand supplies. NCDOT crews from the mountains to the coast will be ready when winter weather hits.
We want you to be ready, too. Visit NCDOT's Driving in Winter Weather webpage for safe travel tips.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.