Shared by IRPO: Division 13 Seeks Public Input on Next STIP

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ASHEVILLE – Citizens are encouraged to provide their input on which projects they would like to see evaluated in the next N.C. Department of Transportation State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The plan includes the projects that the state intends to fund in a 10-year period and is updated every two years to reflect the state’s current financial situation. In the first phase of creating the draft, local NCDOT divisions and planning organizations submit projects for consideration for funding. Projects are then evaluated using a data-driven prioritization process and projects that score highly enough are included in the STIP.

This public comment period will provide feedback as divisions submit projects for the 2020-2029 STIP. The 2018-2027 STIP will be finalized in August.

Each division will hold drop-in office hours for a week-long period to provide members of the public flexibility. To give suggestions and hear about potential projects in Division 13, which includes Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties, residents can stop by the Division 13 Office from July 31 to Aug. 4. The office is located at 55 Orange St. in Asheville and is open for public comment from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to these open office hours, from July 31 to Aug. 31 residents may submit comments to Division 13 Senior Planning Engineer Brendan Merithew at (828) 251-6171 or bwmerithew@ncdot.gov, or by visiting NCDOT’s website.

Shared by IRPO–Four New Projects for Division 14 in Updated Transportation Plan

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Additional projects accelerated

SYLVA – Transportation officials Wednesday announced that 144 new transportation projects will be included in an updated version of the state’s draft 10-Year transportation plan. In addition, the construction schedules were accelerated for hundreds of other projects.

Division 14, which consists of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties, will see a number of improvements as a result of the update including four new highway projects and 17 accelerated projects.

New projects include:
• Widening Interstate 26 from U.S. 64 to U.S. 25 Business in Henderson County; and
• Widening U.S. 19/129 from the Georgia State line to U.S. 64 in Cherokee County.

Accelerated projects include:
• Widening N.C. 69 from the Georgia State line to U.S. 64 in Clay County by two years; and
• Widening N.C. 107 from U.S. 23 Business to Municipal Drive in Jackson County by one year.

In total, Division 14 is slated to receive one additional bicycle and pedestrian projects as well as three highway projects.

“We’re getting a lot of things on paper and then on the ground in a quicker amount of time,” Division 14 Transportation Board Member Jack Debnam said. “We’re doing so at a time when our region is growing and these projects will further support our mountain communities.”

The adjustments reflect updated financial information, including projected revenues, and lower inflation and construction cost overruns.

The plan, called the Draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), was initially scheduled to be approved by the Board of Transportation at its June meeting, but approval was delayed to allow the department to update the document to reflect the changes.

NCDOT will now hold a public comment period on the updated version of the document. The public comment period will run from June 28 to July 12. Anyone who would like to provide comments should contact Diane Wilson at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-6073.

The final 2018-2027 STIP is expected to be approved by the Board in August.

More information about the STIP and how transportation projects are funded is available online at ncdot.gov/strategictransportationinvestments/.

 

Shared by IRPO–Nine New Projects for Division 13 in Updated Transportation Plan

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Additional projects accelerated

Additional projects accelerated

ASHEVILLE – Transportation officials Wednesday announced that nine new transportation projects in Division 13, which includes Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, and Yancey counties, are in the updated version of the state’s draft 10-Year transportation plan.

New projects for the area include:
• Widening U.S. 221 from I-40 to Goose Creek Road in McDowell County; and
• Improving the I-40/Old N.C. 10 interchange in Burke County.

Accelerated projects include:
• Constructing the last segment of the Rutherfordton Bypass by three years; and
• Constructing the I-40/Blue Ridge Road interchange in Buncombe County by two years

“It’s a great benefit to our residents that we get these projects on the ground to improve safety, as well as increase the economic potential of our area,” Division 13 engineer Jay Swain said. “We are keeping our economy — our people, products, and services — moving.”The plan, called the Draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), includes a total of 144 new projects and hundreds of projects with accelerated construction schedules.The adjustments reflect updated financial information, including projected revenues, and lower inflation and construction cost overruns.The plan was initially scheduled to be approved by the Board of Transportation at its June meeting, but approval was delayed to allow the department to update the document to reflect the changes.
NCDOT will now hold a public comment period on the updated version of the document. The public comment period will run from June 28 to July 12. Anyone who would like to provide comments should contact Diane Wilson at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-6073.The final 2018-2027 STIP is expected to be approved by the Board in August.More information about the STIP and how transportation projects are funded is available online at ncdot.gov/strategictransportationinvestments/.

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