North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The North Carolina Department of Transportation says rising costs and inflation are causing delays in several major construction projects.
“It’s inflationary,” Drew Cox, eastern chief deputy engineer, told ABC News 11 in Raleigh. “The cost increases we’ve seen in construction have impacted us over the past three years to a large extent. It’s really caused us to consider what we’ve got going with our schedules.”
Impacted projects include:
- S. 64 widening in Cary and Apex – delayed for two years to 2032.
- I-885 widening from RTP to Highway 147 in Durham County – delayed from 2029 to 2030.
- C. 42 widening west of Clayton – delayed by two years until 2031.
- S 264 widening between Wendell Boulevard and its split at Zebulon – delayed beyond 2035.
Also, plans to convert parts of U.S. 1 Capital Boulevard into an interstate from I-540 to Wake Forest are delayed until 2032 due to inflated construction costs.
A public meeting is planned for March 31 from 4 to 7 p.m., to discuss a proposal to repair infrastructure on major corridors damaged by Helene in Yancey and Mitchell counties.
The meeting will be held at the Burnsville Town Center, 6 S. Main St.
NCDOT and engineering partners will introduce general plans to make permanent repairs along the following corridors, including bridges and intersecting roads:
- N.C. 197 North — 18 miles of repairs in the Toe and Nolichucky River Basin
- N.C. 197 South — 30 miles of repairs including 11 miles of N.C. 197
- U.S. 19W North — 14 miles of repairs including 6 miles from Piney Hill Road to Will Higgins Road
- U.S. 19W South — 12 miles of repairs including 10 miles from Cane River School Road to Piney Hill Road
The meeting format includes a repeating five-minute video, and engineers will be available for one-on-one discussions. Transportation officials are seeking feedback that may be submitted in various manners including at the meeting or through the project website.
Comments can be submitted until April 14 via phone at 984-205-6615 project code 11256, email he**************************@*********ut.com, or mail to Sunil Singh, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1598.