Contractor Moves Start of I-85 Lane Shifts in Vance/Warren Counties to Friday
RALEIGH – Motorists who travel through the work zone for the I-85 upgrade project now under way in Vance and Warren counties will be encountering a series of lane shifts and ramp closures over the next several weeks.
They will start about noon on Friday, Jan. 27, when I-85 South traffic will be shifting over to the northbound side between U.S. 158 Bypass West/Dabney Drive and U.S. 1. The southbound traffic will move to the inside of the northbound side, while I-85 North traffic will shift to the outside.
The move into the two-lane, two-way pattern will allow crews to safely work on the southbound side of the highway. That shift is expected to remain in place until November.
The eastbound U.S. 158 ramp to I-85 will remain closed through November as well, while the I-85 South on ramp from Parham Road will be closed, also until November.
By the end of the month, or in early February, traffic in Warren County will undergo the same shift, with I-85 South vehicles being moved to I-85 North to share those lanes between mile markers 224 and 229.
The timing of the shifts and closures is dependent on the progress of the prep work needed to get the roadways ready, as well as weather conditions.
It is all part of a five-year, $137.3-million project that is improving the interstate between Dabney Road in Vance County and the Virginia state line. In addition to repairing the deteriorating road surface, the work calls for replacing the bridges on I-85 and improving bridges over the interstate. That includes raising the clearance on several of those bridges to create safer conditions for tractor trailers traveling underneath them along the interstate.
The improvements are needed because of the expected increase in traffic volume on this key connector highway for travelers and commercial trucking that links cities of the Mid-Atlantic and northeast United States to Greensboro, Charlotte and Atlanta. Traffic is currently at about 37,800 vehicles a day, but is expected to rise to 60,000 per day over the next 20 years.
A project this big means considerable impacts for motorists with lane and ramp closures, traffic shifts and detours continuing through the end of the project in 2020. And it’s not just the interstate that will be affected, as roads such as N.C. 39 and Satterwhite Point Road, which provides key access to Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, will have lane restrictions and closings at times.
NCDOT staff works closely with local officials, towns, schools and emergency services to make sure everyone knows when their areas will be impacted. For more information about the project, you can contact NCDOT Resident Engineer Boyd Tharrington at btharrington@ncdot.gov or (919) 562-7000.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.
***NCDOT***
Vance County Schools awarded Grant from Golden Leaf
Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools, announced at the Vance County Board of Education meeting January 18, that the school system has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation for its “We Inspire” technology project.
The three-year grant will be used to fund training for educators throughout the school system. It also will be used to support teachers working with students to ensure effective use of latop computers and other technology as an enhancement tool for educational instruction at school and at home.
The “We Inspire” project involves an approximately 50-member team of local educators who are already receiving training on effective strategies to use in the classroom to better utilize technology in their daily instruction. The team is made up of school administrators, department directors, school media specialists, school system technology technicians, curriculum specialists, teachers and counselors. Training for the team began last summer and has been ongoing during this school year. The “We Inspire” cohort members also are facilitating training sessions for other educators in their schools.
The “We Inspire” project includes a close partnership with the Friday Institute at N.C. State University. Representatives of the Friday Institute have already led several training sessions with the “We Inspire” team and more trainings are planned.
Educators throughout the school system received new laptop computers at the beginning of this school year. The new laptops are being used as a focal point of the technology project. For effective use of the technology, ongoing training for all teachers and other educators in local schools is essential. The Golden Leaf Foundation grant funding will cover costs of the training over the next three years. To train all 500 teachers in the district, the school system will need to offer support to cohorts ranging in size from 75 to 100 teachers, each year. Those educators who have completed the training will lead sessions to offer refreshers to others not in an active cohort.
Students in the Vance County Early College High School and the STEM Early High School received new laptop computers this school year. The student laptops were obtained through a lease program. Students in additional schools are set to receive new laptop computers at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.
The “We Inspire” project is the catalyst for use of technology in Vance County Schools for years to come. The Golden Leaf Foundation grant to cover costs of training educators over the next three years is crucial to the success of teachers and students using technology as an educational enhancement tool.
2017 Meeting Schedule for the Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board
2017 Meeting Schedule Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board
Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent for Vance and Warren Counties, indicates the board will meet at 2 p.m. on the following dates:
February 2nd
May 4th
August 3rd
November 2nd
All meetings will be held at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson.
Any changes to this schedule will be communicated to local media, and also posted at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu. Meetings are open to the public. Questions regarding the Farmers Market Advisory Board may be directed to Paul McKenzie of Vance County Cooperative Extension at paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu or 252-438-8188.
Additional contact information is as follows:
Paul McKenzie
Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties
NC Cooperative Extension
305 Young St., Henderson, NC 27536
158 Rafters Ln., Warrenton, NC 27589
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu
252.438.8188 (Vance) 252.257.3640 (Warren)
@pgmckenzie
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Henderson Land Planning Committee to meet Thursday
The Henderson City Council’s Land Planning Committee will meet on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss policy, ordinances and penalties associated with property within the City, along with issues associated with City owned properties. Other items may be discussed as a result of this discussion. The public is welcome.
Esther J. McCrackin
City Clerk – City of Henderson, NC
134 Rose Avenue
P.O. Box 1434
Henderson, NC 27536
Tel: 252-430-5705
Fax: 252-492-7935
American Legion Post 99 News Release
The American Legion Post 99 and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 99 meets every 2nd Monday of the Month at Post 99 located at 1034 Mallard Lane Halifax, Va.
Auxiliary starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Legion begins at 7:00 p.m.
We welcome eligible men and women desiring to assist veterans and/or their families.
Call 434-575-5401 or 434-476-1268 for more information.
(This information came to WIZS via mail)