Under a $60.5 million contract awarded to Barnhill Contracting Co. last week, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is advancing plans for a new Interstate 95 interchange, among additional roadwork in the region.
The plans include turning the Sunset Avenue bridge over I-95 into a ramp accessible interchange, widening lanes at Nash County’s Eastern Avenue, Sunset Avenue and North Old Carriage Road, adding turn lanes to the intersection of Eastern Avenue and North Old Carriage Road, and building roundabouts on Eastern Avenue and Sunset Avenue.
“I’m really excited that we were able to accelerate these projects by two or three years,” Gus Tulloss, a state Board of Transportation member from Rocky Mount, said. “The new interchange, in particular, will be important for promoting economic development in the region.”
The particular contract will see a design-build team combine the engineering, right-of-way, and construction functions under one manager. Construction is expected to start in about a year.
Money for the projects stems from a long-term funding plan established in 2015, with a portion of the state’s Build NC bond sale proceeds supplementing money from the highway trust fund to support it. Project partners hope the changes will boost mobility.