SOUTHPORT – Construction will start early next year on widening a 7-mile swath of N.C. 211 in Brunswick County to ease congestion, plan for future traffic growth and improve safety.
The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $217.3 million contract this week to Barnhill Contracting Co. of Rocky Mount to improve the mostly two-lane highway between N.C. 87 and Midway Road (N.C. 906).
“This is an enormous investment for upgrading this important corridor in Brunswick County," said Chad Kimes, the NCDOT's Division 3 Engineer based in Castle Hayne. “These enhancements will improve highway safety and aid in the tremendous population growth the area is experiencing."
Project highlights include:
- Widen to four travel lanes (two in each direction) with a raised median.
- Construct an interchange with two bridges carrying N.C. 906 over N.C. 211, as well as loops and traffic signals to access either highway.
- Construct an interchange with N.C. 211 and Long Beach Road (N.C. 133) with a bridge and on/off ramps.
The widened roadway will have a design known as reduced conflict intersections, which use medians and traffic islands to redirect motorists from side streets and driveways into turning right onto the highway. This maneuver is safer, reducing the risk of T-bone crashes, and is easier for drivers waiting to turn left during congestion. If they want to go the other direction, they simply go a short distance along N.C. 211 and safely turn around from a dedicated lane.
During construction, the contractor will work to improve one side of the highway, while maintaining a two-way traffic pattern. When half of the road is widened, traffic will be shifted onto the new portion, so the existing section can be rebuilt.
The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026. Visit this NCDOT project page for more details.