The proposed project will widen N.C. 42 (South Lombard Street in Clayton) from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane, median-divided roadway. The project will extend from N.C. 50 to U.S. 70 Business (Clayton Boulevard) but will not include the I-40/N.C. 42 interchange, where widening and other improvements were completed in 2024 as part of a separate N.C. Department of Transportation contract.
NCDOT is currently advancing engineering designs along this N.C. 42 corridor for this proposed project. The widened roadway will include new bridges over Swift Creek, Little Creek and White Oak Creek.
To facilitate the smooth movement of traffic along this corridor, NCDOT proposes to upgrade numerous intersections, some with innovative designs to help improve traffic flow while minimizing property impacts. Some intersections will remain as traditional ones with traffic signals with such added improvements as dedicated turn lanes, increased turn-lane length and improved traffic signals.
Other intersections, however, will be converted into reduced conflict intersections, which is a general term used by NCDOT to describe several types of designs that can be used to improve safety and traffic flow on a highway. There are variations to this design, but they all function the same by reducing the number of movements to improve traffic flow and safety.
The intersections along the N.C. 42 corridor for this proposed project may include median U-turns, roundabouts and directional crossovers. NCDOT has updated the design maps for the March 2025 public meeting to reflect which intersection would be improved by these type of innovative designs.
Date of Public Knowledge
The Date of Public Knowledge of the location and potential noise impacts of the proposed widening of N.C. 42 is July 2, 2018, the approval date of the Categorical Exclusion.
NCDOT is not responsible for evaluating or implementing any noise barriers to protect developed lands that were not permitted before the Date of Public Knowledge.
The criterion for determining when undeveloped land is permitted for development is the approval date of a building permit for an individual lot or site. Approval of a development plat or any other development plan does not meet the permitted criteria. NCDOT advocates use of local government authority to regulate land development, planning, design and construction in such a way that noise impacts are minimized.