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.
Honoring NCDOT Employee for Veterans Day
Veterans Day was Nov. 11, but we’re continuing to shine the spotlight on NCDOT employees who served our country in the U.S. Armed Forces.
NCDOT’s
General Counsel Daniel Johnson shared his story of joining the U.S. Navy in 1998. While at sea a year later, an incident occurred where Johnson had to risk his life to save another sailor. During the incident he lost both of his legs.
Johnson earned honors for his actions and was honorably discharged. He went onto law school and joined the department in May 2019.
“(The) closest thing I’ve felt to when I was serving in the Navy is my service here at the Department of Transportation. It is a big organization. It’s got a lot of talented people, from all walks of life, who are all part of something bigger," Johnson said.
To learn more about Johnson’s story,
click here.
U.S. 401 Ribbon Cutting
Drivers on U.S. 401 in Wake and Franklin counties are seeing big improvements to the busy highway.
Members of the community and local and state officials gathered in Louisburg this week to celebrate the U.S. 401 Improvements Project.
NCDOT changed the traffic patterns to make intersections safer and added more lanes for increased mobility.
Smith Creek Bridge Ribbon Cutting
Along the coast, drivers now have access to a new bridge. The Smith Creek Bridge in Wilmington opened to traffic after a ribbon cutting celebration with local and state officials.
The former bridge was permanently closed after a truck hit the steel-truss bridge in May 2021. While NCDOT planned to replace the old bridge, the department sped up design and construction phases to bring the new bridge to life sooner than anticipated.