OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A potential NCDOT project at one of the Outer Banks' busiest intersections that was met with major opposition has been removed from the priority project list in our division this year. The Albemarle Rural Planning Organization made that decision after residents made it clear it was not something they wanted.
The intersection is where visitors and locals coming from the Wright Memorial Bridge either continue straight down U.S. 158 or turn left onto N.C. 12 to go to Southern Shores, Duck or Corolla.
The potential project came with two options — the first would construct two bridges or overpasses. The second would convert the intersection into an interchange.
"I can't get behind something, especially knowing that over 90% of the people that that put in their two cents on that said no," said Mary Ellon Ballance, Dare County's representative to the ARPO.
That means a project in Perquimans County will be next up on the project scoring list. But as Rural Transportation Advisory Committee Chair Lloyd Griffin explains, it also means that project will compete against regional projects in neighboring divisions. That means our 10 counties could miss out on the around $36 million in funding for the now-removed U.S. 158/N.C. 12 project.
"That project would compete with other projects in Division Four, whether it be funded or not," Griffin said. "It's kind of a chicken and egg, and where you sit in the mix of funding, so that's what they're up against. Our regional guys with DOT will work hard to get our projects funded. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose."
ARPO representatives from all 10 counties will sign and send a letter to elected leaders in Raleigh calling on the need for legislative funding of projects in northeastern North Carolina. This comes because the price tag on many of the projects far exceeds the funding our area can receive through the State Transportation Improvement Program.
"It's sending the message to Raleigh that hey, this this needs to be looked at, this needs to be considered, these are priorities for us," said Ballance.
Two of the main projects listed in the letter are the $1.2 billion Mid-Currituck Bridge and $1 billion in improvements for N.C. 12 access to Hatteras Island and Ocracoke.
"We don't have the populations to support some of these bigger projects. However, we do have the impact to the state revenue that warrants taking care of these roads so that people can safely get on and off the Outer Banks and the Lower Banks and all up and down Eastern North Carolina," said Ballance.
ARPO amended the current letter on Wednesday to also include the amount of tourism dollars that our area brings into the state. Ballance and fellow members also feel that elected leaders need to revisit the State Transportation Improvement Program to better support rural communities in northeastern North Carolina.
"The state has to recognize that in some of these smaller rural areas, like in Division One, that they're going to have to find other ways to fund these bigger projects that that are public safety. They are a lot of other things outside of what the STIP focuses on, and so I would ask that the legislators start taking a look at the STIP program and see how they can modify it or make adjustments that allow for these rural communities to get what they need as far as transportation is concerned," said Ballance.
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