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.
School Bus Safety
As the start of another school year quickly approaches, the North Carolina Department of Transportation wants to remind everyone about the importance of school bus safety.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are one of the safest school transportation options for children.
However, it’s important to remind parents, children and drivers to be aware around buses and know the laws of the road.
Yellow flashing lights indicate a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload students.
Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off.
Drivers must stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
The two exceptions are when a highway is divided by a median separation, or in the case of a roadway with four or more lanes with a center turn lane, only traffic following the bus must stop.
For more safety tips for drivers, parents and students, visit
NCDOT.gov and search “school bus safety.”
Peak Hurricane Season Approaches
This past year, North Carolinians have seen first-hand the impacts of strong storms and hurricanes alike.
As we approach the peak of hurricane season, NCDOT encourages everyone to plan, prepare and stay informed by visiting
ReadyNC.gov.
There, you can find weather alerts, road conditions and helpful tips for before, during and after storms hit.
Last DMV Saturdays
There are just two weekends of summer walk-in service hours remaining at the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.
August 23 marks the final Saturday that 20 offices will offer morning services.
For a full list of license offices providing Saturday hours, visit
NCDOT.gov and search “DMV Saturday Hours.”
Triangle Expressway Extension
The Complete 540 project received national recognition for an innovative use of technology.
The new southern portion of the Triangle Expressway extends the project approximately 18 miles from N.C. 55 to Interstate 40/U.S. 70 (future I-42).
This transformative infrastructure opened to traffic in last fall and is designed to enhance mobility, reduce congestion and support planned regional growth in the Raleigh area.
The project was submitted by the N.C. Turnpike Authority in the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) regional level of the America’s Transportation Awards contest.