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.
Aviation Grants
Last week, the nation’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a special visit to North Carolina announcing federal grants totaling $45 million for improvements to airports in Charlotte, the Triangle, Wilmington and Spruce Pine.
The grants, which came out of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are part of nearly $1 billion in federal funds that will help modernize 114 airports nationwide.
Carolinas AGC Meeting
Earlier this week, state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins gave business folks in the construction industry an update on transportation funding for the coming year.
Hopkins told the group transportation is seeing an upswing in funding for maintenance and capital projects.
His remarks came at an annual meeting of the Carolinas Associated General Contractors meeting in Raleigh.
Ocracoke Express
Tickets are now on sale for the Ocracoke Express.
The passenger ferry service lets people skip summer vehicle ferry lines and whisks them from Hatteras to Ocracoke village, where they can walk, bike or ride a free tram to attractions, restaurants and shops.
A round trip ticket is just $15, with an additional $1 fee for bicycles.
The Ocracoke Express’s 6th season of service begins May 23 and will run through Labor Day.
Black History Month
NCByTrain is helping out as North Carolinians continue to celebrate Black History Month.
Last Saturday, a group from 100 Black Men of Greater Charlotte took a trip aboard the state’s passenger rail service for a timely trip to honor the state’s Civil Rights history.
The group traveled from Charlotte to Greensboro, where they visited the International Civil Rights Museum.
After guided tours and a delicious lunch at the train station, the group boarded the train back home, reflecting on how far our nation has come in the years since the Civil Rights Movement began.
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.