As part of the 2004 Greenville Urban Area Thoroughfare Plan, the widening of 14th Street was adopted by the N.C. Department of Transportation in February 2005.
The Greenville Metropolitan Transportation Plan -2050 Update also recommends widening the existing two-lane roadway from Red Banks to Fire Tower Road and ranks it as the ninth highest priority in Pitt County.
NCDOT began environmental planning work on the project began in March 2017. The state environmental document, a Minimum Criteria Determination Checklist (MCDC), was completed in July 2018.
Two public meetings were held on Nov. 7, 2017, and April 3, 2018, to present design alternatives and gather input from the community and local stakeholders. The initial meeting in 2017 introduced three four-lane, median-divided alternatives (symmetrical, variable symmetrical, and asymmetrical widening), which prompted concerns about right-of-way impacts, noise, and residential displacement. In response, NCDOT developed Alternative 4, a two-lane, median-divided design with protected left turns and dedicated bike lanes, presented at the second meeting in 2018.
This alternative minimized property impacts, avoided residential relocations, preserved the neighborhood's character, and addressed noise concerns. Stakeholder feedback focused on turn access, U-turn locations, and pedestrian/bicycle safety. Based on this input, Alternative 4 was selected as the preferred option and is supported by the City of Greenville.
Right-of-way acquisition initially began in 2019. The project was placed on hold from 2020 to 2023 due to NCDOT funding constraints. In 2024, the project was reinitiated, with minor refinements made to the designs to align with the latest design standards and nearby projects like the Firetower Road widening. Right-of-way acquisition resumed in summer 2025, based on the revised designs. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2028.