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.
Winter Weather and Helene Recovery
Winter weather is making its way across North Carolina and it is important to take additional measures to ensure everyone’s safety.
Wherever your traveling, drivers should give room to crews working– move over when possible and slow down.
In the west, on Helene-damaged roads that still need paving, drivers should use caution and be patient. Unpaved sections can complicate the department’s snow response and make travel trickier for drivers.
"Some places where it's just gravel... you can't salt," said Avery County Maintenance Engineer Danny Steelman. "If it happens anyway and when it does happen you have to go back and dig out the gravel because the salt holds moisture and it makes the gravel real soft there."
Before traveling, drivers should visit
DriveNC.gov for the latest updates on road conditions. For driving tips, check out
this NCDOT webpage.
Innovative Crosswalk Technology
The state is adding more innovative technology for pedestrians as a safe way to cross a busy road.
The Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon provides cues to both pedestrians and drivers to help people safely navigate marked crosswalks.
While there are several pedestrian hybrid beacons in our state, the
newest signal is near East Carolina University.
For details on how to use the signal, go to this department webpage.
Drivers Urged to be Alert During Walk for Peace
NCDOT is alerting drivers to a large group of Buddhist monks who are walking through North Carolina on their way to the nation’s capital.
As part of the
Walk for Peace, the monks will walk from Charlotte to Greensboro to Raleigh over the next week. The department encourages drivers along their route to move over when possible and slow down.