The project to make improvements to U.S. 70 in James City was awarded and will be constructed under one contract, but was divided into two smaller sections:
- A 2.6-mile stretch of U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to Garner Road
- A 2.5-mile stretch of U.S. 70 between Garner Road and the Neuse River Bridge
U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to Garner Road
The N.C. Department of Transportation developed designs for this section that maintain the original design concept of U.S. 70 over the secondary roads. This section includes an interchange at Taberna Way and Thurman Road. This part of U.S. 70 will be a 4-lane divided facility with a 46-foot wide grass median and cable guiderail.
NCDOT will also build and realign existing service roads, providing access to U.S. 70 for the properties along the corridor.
One of the innovations that NCDOT is bringing to the project is incorporating roundabouts on Taberna Way and Thurman Road in lieu of signalized intersections. This will improve traffic flow at the bottom of the ramps, reduce future maintenance costs, and be a safer option.
U.S. 70 from Garner Road and Neuse River Bridge
Designs for this section also maintain the original design concept of U.S. 70 over the secondary roads. This includes interchanges at Grantham Road, Airport Road, and Williams Road. This section will be a 6-lane divided facility with a 22-foot wide paved median and concrete barrier. Service roads will be realigned or constructed here as well.
Roundabouts will also be constructed on Grantham Road, Airport Road, and Williams Road to improve traffic flow. Visualizations of the roundabouts can be found in the Photos & Videos section of the website.