Project Overview & Purpose
Planning and development is underway to improve traffic on a 5.1-mile stretch of U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to the Neuse River Bridge in James City in Craven County.
Work would also improve access to local community services and enhance economic development in the area.
The project is
among several by the N.C. Department of Transportation to improve the U.S. 70 Corridor – one of the primary east-west corridors across eastern North Carolina.
U.S. 70 provides an important connection between the port at Morehead City, military bases in Havelock and Goldsboro and the
Global TransPark in Kinston. NCDOT has identified the corridor as one of three in which improvements would assist economic development in the primarily rural areas of eastern North Carolina.
In addition, the 2015
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act designated U.S. 70 from I-40 in Garner to the port at Morehead City as a high-priority corridor and future interstate (later signed as "Interstate 42"). The interstate designation will benefit military interconnectivity, aid in economic development, create jobs and stimulate growth in travel and tourism.
Project Funding
This project is listed as Projects U-5713 and R-5777AB in the
N.C. Department of Transportation's State Transportation Improvement Program and is funded for $171.6 million.
| Project development and design | $1,700,000 |
Property acquisition for east of Thurman Road to Garner Road | $52,200,000 |
| Property acquisition for Garner Road to Neuse River Bridge | $25,000,000 |
Construction for east of Thurman Road to Garner Road | $52,700,000 |
| Construction for Garner Road to Neuse River Bridge | $41,000,000 |
|
Total cost |
$171,600,000 |
*Estimated costs subject to change