The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has selected design firm Stantec to provide engineering and analysis services for the Hampstead Bypass which will run from I-140 to U.S. 17 north of Hampstead.
Stantec’s design services also includes corridor improvements to existing US 17 in Hampstead.
These projects, totaling $250 million in construction, will improve north-south mobility along the North Carolina coastline north of Wilmington and will address safety and congestion issues along US 17 in Hampstead, the company said in a statement.
The bypass will consist of a 12 mile, four-lane median divided freeway with four interchanges, four overpasses, and a total of 16 bridges. The design will require avoidance and/or minimizing environmental impacts to wetlands, streams, and threatened plant and animal species. Safety improvements to five miles of US 17 in Hampstead will include a new median to control left turns, two-phase signalized u-turn bulbs, and sidewalks on each side.
The project is expected to begin construction no later than the fall of 2020.