In 2021, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) completed hundreds of projects while earning national recognition for delivering innovative mobility solutions, the department said last week.
As part of its annual review, the NCDOT looked not only at its accomplishments over the past year but its strong financial bottom line, officials said.
“NCDOT staff worked tirelessly in 2021 to keep North Carolina a great state to live and work,” said Transportation Secretary J. Eric Boyette. “In 2022, we will stay on the forefront of innovation and continue to provide a safe and resilient transportation system.”
During 2021, NCDOT crews worked with local communities and planning organizations across the state to deliver mobility solutions, including about 6,400 lane miles of paved projects, 80 completed bridge and culvert projects, amounting to nearly 240 completed projects statewide. Crews also patched more than 265,000 potholes, applied roughly 15,000 miles of road markings, and installed nearly 100,000 linear feet of pipe across the state.
Crews also helped with emergency response efforts to storms that impacted the state from the mountains to the coast. For example, more than 600 employees worked to re-open roads and bridges washed out by Tropical Depression Fred, including re-opening Chinquapin Road Bridge to Cruso in 40 hours.
The department incorporated some innovations over the year as well, including a touchless payment system pilot program for NC Quick Pass customers and a program to use drones to conduct bridge inspections. The NCDOT and National Park Service also partnered to launch the first self-driving vehicle at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.
The department was also honored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The Salem Parkway project in Winston-Salem was named the Grand Prize winner in AASHTO’s America’s Transportation Awards. Additionally, the Green Street Pedestrian Bridge over Salem Parkway was named the No. 2 bridge in Roads & Bridges magazine’s top-10 bridges of the year. The Marc Basnight Bridge in Dare County was named Bridge of the Year by Infrastructure magazine.