GOLDSBORO – A heavily traveled mile of Wayne Memorial Drive in northern Goldsboro will be widened to four lanes with a raised median after the N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $19.8 million construction contract last week.
The improvements, stretching from The Maxwell Center to the Interstate 42 interchange, are designed to reduce travel delays, lower the risk of serious crashes, and enhance pedestrian safety.
Most of this corridor currently contains two or three lanes, while the segment in front of The Maxwell Center has four lanes with a center turn lane. That center turn lane will be replaced with a raised median.
Several locations will also be upgraded to what NCDOT calls reduced conflict intersections, which redirect drivers from side streets to turn right before making a U turn. This design decreases the number of places vehicles can collide.
These innovative safety features have been shown to reduce total crashes by 50%— and the most serious injury related crashes by 80%— according to a 2023 NCDOT analysis.
The Goldsboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization recommended the project to improve safety and relieve congestion along the busy route. The project also includes a sidewalk between Tommy's and New Hope roads, as well as concrete curb and gutter upgrades to help improve drainage during heavy rain.
Branch Civil Inc., based in Roanoke, Virginia, may begin construction as early as June and will have until the summer of 2029 to complete the improvements.