Project OverviewTo improve safety and ease traffic congestion, the N.C. Department of Transportation and local leaders are proposing to add a median and limit left turns along U.S. 15-501 and U.S. 1, two busy commercial corridors.
Segments of the two highways now have four lanes with a two-way center turn lane, which NCDOT would eliminate through the use of a design called a reduced conflict intersection.
Before the roadway improvements can begin, a major water line must be moved from U.S. 1 to Poplar Street. This relocation would occur on Poplar Street from Elm Street to the driveway at Mac’s Breakfast Anytime as part of State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Project No. U-5815BA. Additional improvements include erosion control and pavement resurfacing.
Construction for the utility relocation is scheduled to start summer 2022 and is expected to be complete in late 2023. Elm Street will be closed to through traffic at times, but Poplar Street will remain open for the duration of construction.
The project will be divided into four sections:
Project U-5814 (U.S. 15-501): A 1.3-mile section of U.S. 15-501 from U.S. 1 to Brucewood Road.
Project U-5815A (U.S. 1): Section A of project U-5815 is 0.6 miles long. It starts at U.S. 15-501 East and ends at Lakeshore Drive.
Project U-5815B (U.S. 1): 2.6 miles of project U-5815 is section B which begins at Roseland Road and ends at Old U.S. 1
Project U-5815BA (water line relocation): A 1.6-mile section of North Poplar Street starting along Elm Street and ending at the driveway of Mac’s Breakfast Anytime.
Crash history from October 2009 to December 2016 shows U.S. 1 and U.S. 15-501 exceed the statewide critical crash rate. Improvements would not only improve safety but also reduce delays and plan for anticipated traffic growth in the area.
Project Funding
This proposed project is identified as U-5814, U-5815A, U-5815B, and U-5815BA in the N.C. Department of Transportation's State Transportation Improvement Program and is funded for $54.5 million.
| Project development and design | $2.65 million
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| Property acquisition | $1.65 million
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| Construction costs | $50.2 million
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Total cost |
$54.5 million |
*Estimated costs subject to change