Tag Archive for: #NCDOT

S-Line Rail Corridor

Another Grant Means Another Step Toward ‘All Aboard’ for S-Line Rail

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Plans to bring rail service back to Henderson continue to chug along, and one city council member said he’s been pleasantly surprised at how the S-Line project is coming together.

Garry Daeke spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about the recent announcement of a $3.4 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to complete a transit-oriented development study.

“It’s incredible that we’ve been able to get these grants so quickly,” Daeke said. The wheels of government and bureaucracy often move slowly, especially when working with multiple agencies across the local, state and federal levels, Daeke noted. But everything is running along smoothly, including a recent site visit that Daeke said proved quite positive.

“I’m real enthused about the work of DOT – how much time and energy they’ve put into this – they really want to see this fly,” Daeke said. In fact, state DOT officials held a press conference Tuesday morning in Sanford to announce the awarding of the RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sanford is one of the stops along the proposed S-Line, which includes stops in Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Henderson and Norlina to connect the Raleigh to Richmond corridor.

The City Council is “100 percent excited” about the project, which would include a train station and other possible retail and commercial projects nearby, with the prospect of providing a huge boost to the area’s economy.

The rail would serve passenger and freight traffic, both of which Henderson has experienced in the past.

For Daeke, it’s all about working together. “Collaboration is how things happen,” he said. During the recent site visit, city staff and local officials joined NC DOT staff and railroad representatives to survey existing infrastructure and to envision how the area could be transformed.

The city put up $190,000 for its part of the project, and although Daeke said it’s a lot of money, he said he believes the project will pay big dividends for the city and beyond.

The group took a look at the old First National Bank Building on Garnett Street as a possible station, and Daeke said the reviews were positive. The group took a walking tour and looked at the former bank building as they covered basically the whole block, discussing everything from loading docks and accessibility to parking lots and bike paths.

“This will be the jewel on the new line between Petersburg and Sanford,” Daeke recalled one visitor as saying.

Between the urban redevelopment plans underway and what’s going on downtown with the Downtown Development Commission, Daeke said the state and rail officials who visited were impressed with prospects for the rail hub.

“They said it would be a fantastic site for a train station,” he said, affirming what city leaders had wondered about. “It became very clear that it could work.”

What comes next?

A feasibility study, including a site assessment and preliminary engineering plans, for starters.

But the project includes much more than just situating a train station in town.

The whole notion of a “transportation hub” involves looking at how people are going to get to the station and could include projects from creating bike lanes to widening existing roads. Then there’s the very real possibility of having to build a couple of overpasses for the trains to keep road traffic moving. Where will folks park if they want to catch the train in Henderson and leave their car for a few days?

Daeke said it will be key to take a look at where people gain access to the train and make sure that the area is safe and easily accessible for the community.

“It’s definitely a bigger plan than just building a train station,” he said.

The S-Line is a developing rail corridor that will better connect rural and urban communities, improve and expand freight and passenger services, and significantly reduce rail travel times between Raleigh and Washington D.C. To learn more, visit this NCDOT webpage.

Click Play

Raleigh to Richmond Corridor Grant

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— information courtesy of NCDOT and NCDOT Now —

The Federal Railroad Administration announced during the week of May 30th more than $368 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grants. Of this, nearly $58 million will go to the development of the Raleigh to Richmond corridor.

The grant will support surveys and preliminary engineering for the corridor.

This grant, the largest awarded in this funding cycle, will improve transportation access for underserved and rural communities while shortening travel times between the two cities.

“We want to make sure that we can get people from one place to the next,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “To their jobs, to their schools, to their healthcare. And we know as we move into this clean energy economy, as we fight climate change every single day, that passenger rail is going to be key in getting us from one place to the next.”

S-Line Rail Corridor

June 16 Workshop, Open House Set For Warren Residents To Discuss S-Line Rail Corridor

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-information courtesy of Warren County Community and Economic Development Director, Charla Duncan

As plans continue for rail service through North Carolina, Warren County and the NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division will host a design workshop and public open house next month to allow the community to provide input toward a vision for the transit-oriented development in the area.

The proposed S-Line is a rail line that involves about 95 miles in North Carolina and will connect  Richmond, Virginia and Tampa, Florida, with stops in Norlina and Henderson, according to information received from the office of Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.

The design workshop will be held Thursday, June 16  between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Warrenton Armory Civic Center, 501 U.S. Hwy 158 Business East in Warrenton. Members of the community are invited to come any time during the three hours to provide their own ideas, suggestions and feedback as they learn more about the vision for the S-Line rail corridor in Norlina.

The public open house will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., also at the Warrenton Armory. Families are invited and there will be a “kids zone” with children’s activities.

In addition to Norlina and Henderson, the S-Line project includes Apex, Franklinton, Raleigh, Sanford, Wake Forest and Youngsville along the 95-mile stretch of rail line.

Transit-oriented development has a goal to connect communities and public spaces by increasing accessibility without having to rely on a personal vehicle. An important aspect of this study is public engagement.

More information about the S-Line Transit Oriented Development Study can be found online at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/rail/s-line-study.

For more information, contact Charla Duncan, director of community and economic development, at 252.257.3115 or by email at charladuncan@warrencountync.gov.

NC DOT

NC DOT Spells Out Rules For Placing Campaign Signs

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As the political campaigning heats up in advance of the upcoming May 17 primary election, drivers are likely to see candidates’ campaign signs along roadsides. State laws govern where the signs may – and may not – be placed, and NC DOT has the authority to remove signs that are in violation of proper placement.

Anyone other than DOT employees who removes – or vandalizes – campaign signs could be subject to a Class 3 misdemeanor citation from law enforcement, according to a press statement released this week by NC DOT.

Campaign signs can remain in place for 10 days after the May 17 primary election. Signs still in the right-of-way after May 27 are in violation of state law, and the NCDOT is authorized to remove and dispose of them.

It is  General Statute 136-32 (b) which states that political signs, if properly placed, are allowed on the NC DOT right-of-way until May 27.

“NCDOT has the authority to remove any signs that violate the general statute, create safety hazards for travelers or interfere with maintenance operations. NCDOT employees may remove signs that are illegally placed within the state right-of-way, as time permits. The signs are normally taken to local maintenance offices where they will be stored until claimed,” according to the press statement.

Restrictions regarding sign placement include:
•    Whoever places a sign is required to get the permission of any property owner of a residence, business or religious institution fronting the right of way where a sign would be placed;
•    No sign is permitted in the right of way of a limited-access highway such as an interstate;
•    No sign can be closer than 3 feet from the edge of the pavement of the road;
•    No sign can obscure motorist visibility at an intersection.
•    No sign can be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement;
•    No sign can be larger than 864 square inches; and
•    No sign can obscure or replace another sign.

NC DOT

Three Road Resurfacing Contracts to be Completed by Nov 2022

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Close to 78 miles of area roadways are set to be resurfaced throughout Vance, Warren and Person counties at a cost of almost $10 million, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

NC DOT officials shared details of the three contracts, all of which were awarded to low bidder Carolina Sunrock of Raleigh. The contracts state that all work must be complete before November 2022. This information comes from Marty R. Homan, of the Communications Office at NC DOT in Raleigh.

  • Under a $3.9 million contract, crews will mill and resurface pavement and improve shoulders along 26.9 miles of state-maintained roads throughout Vance County.
  • Under a $2.98 million contract, crews will mill and resurface pavement and improve shoulders along 27 miles of state-maintained roads throughout Person County.
  • Under a $2.77 million contract, crews will mill and resurface pavement and improve shoulders along 23.6 miles of state-maintained roads throughout Vance and Warren counties.

Also listed in the project is the portion of Garnett Street that is located in the heart of downtown, which will allow for construction of a grassy strip in the road. Members of the Downtown Development Commission had discussed the possibility of creating a median in Garnett Street. City Manager Terrell Blackmon said Tuesday that he had not received a timeline from the Vance County engineer for DOT as to when the resurfacing would begin. A majority of William Street, from just north of Old Epsom Road all the way to Main Street, is also scheduled to have curb and gutter installed.

Below is a partial list of roads that will be resurfaced in Vance County:

  • Barker Road
  • Portions of Dabney Road
  • Gun Club Road, as well as Carolina Woods, Meridian Way, Pinnacle Place and Pine Ridge Trail off Gun Club Road
  • Brookston Road
  • Chavis Road near Kittrell
  • Garrett Road
  • MacNair Drive
  • NC 39 Loop Road
  • Numerous residential streets in the area of Skenes Avenue, Julia Avenue and Hawkins Drive
NC DOT

More Than 1 Million Pounds of Roadside Litter Collected This Year

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— press release courtesy of NCDOT

RALEIGH – As part of its litter removal efforts, N.C. Department of Transportation crews, contractors and volunteers have now collected more than 1 million pounds of litter from roadsides statewide this year.

“We are only just beginning this year’s efforts to clean up and prevent litter on our roadsides,” said state Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. “But we need everyone’s help. We all are responsible for keeping North Carolina clean and beautiful.”

NCDOT reports that the agency and its partners have removed 1.18 million pounds of litter since Jan. 1.

NCDOT’s litter management programs are multifaceted. The department makes use of both state-owned forces and contract services statewide. NCDOT’s Sponsor-A-Highway Program allows businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor litter removal along roadsides. NCDOT is also proud to partner with the more than 120,000 participants in the Adopt-A-Highway Program, where volunteers pledge to clean a section of our highways at least four times a year.

North Carolinians looking to help keep the state’s roadways clean can volunteer for the upcoming Spring Litter Sweep, which will run from April 10-24.

Litter is unsightly, costs millions of dollars to clean up and can hurt tourism, the environment and the state’s quality of life. The most effective way to aid litter removal efforts is to stop it at its source.

Everyone should do their part by:

  • Securing their loads before driving. Unsecured trash can fly from a vehicle and end up as roadside litter.
  • Trash should be held onto until it can be disposed of properly. Keep a litter bag in your vehicle so you can properly dispose of trash later.
  • Recycle whenever possible. Recycling protects our environment, saves landfill space and keeps the community clean.

***NCDOT***

NCDOT

NCDOT Resurfacing Project Awarded for Granville County

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— press release courtesy of NCDOT

Thanks to a new contract awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation, nearly 12 miles of area roadway will be resurfaced.

Under a $643,000 contract, Boxley Materials Company of Roanoke, Va., will mill and resurface pavement on sections of five state-maintained roads in eastern Granville County.

The roads to be resurfaced are Hight Road, Peaces Chapel Road, Tommie Sneed Road, Grove Hill Road and Flat Rock Road.

This work can start as soon as July 1 and must be complete by the end of July 2022.

***NCDOT***

NCDOT

NCDOT Plans $4.5 Million in Resurfacing in Four County Area

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More than 70 miles of area roads are on the schedule to be resurfaced, according to information from the N.C. Department of Transportation. The cost of the four projects totals nearly $4.5 million.

The work is set to begin this summer and must be completed by August 2022, according to Marty Homan of the NC DOT communications office.

The largest project involves 27.9 miles of state-maintained roads throughout Granville and Vance counties. ST Wooten Corporation won the contract, which will include milling and resurfacing pavement and making shoulder improvements. Roads to see improvements include Fairport Road in Vance and Granville counties, and Belltown, Sanders and E. Tally Ho roads, all in Granville County.

Under a $700,414 contract, Fred Smith Company of Raleigh will mill and resurface pavement and improve shoulders along 16.3 miles of state-maintained roads throughout Granville, Vance and Warren counties. Roads slated for improvement include Plum Nutty, Ross Mill and Dick Faines roads in Vance County, Tar River Road in Granville County and Lady’s Lane in Warren County.

Roads in Franklin County will get similar improvements under a $663,670 contract with Whitehurst Paving of Richmond, Va. Almost 18 miles along Duke Memorial and Gardner roads will be improved.

In Person County, 8.1 miles along Zion Level Church Road/Skylark Drive, and Wagstaff, Royster-Clay and Ralph Winstead roads will be milled and resurfaced, as well as receive shoulder improvements under a $338,714 contract with Carolina Road Solutions of Center Valley, Pa.

NCDOT

S-Line Rail Corridor Goes Straight Through Henderson

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The S-Line rail corridor goes straight through downtown Henderson.  The future of the route from Petersburg, Virginia down to the Virginia line and then the NC Department of Transportation’s portion from Virginia to South Carolina could spawn additional economic development for the local Henderson area.

Being a mainline portion of the Southeast Corridor and possibly a higher speed line would help too.

For now, the news is the fact that NCDOT has been awarded a grant for development planning near passenger rail stations.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington is quoted in a press release from NCDOT, and he said, “Our community was founded on rail traffic in 1841. It is only natural that our resurgence is based on this same driving force for economic development, connecting us to greater opportunities. The regional cooperation and resulting benefit this project represents is government at its best.”

Julie White, NCDOT’s deputy secretary for Multimodal Transportation said in the press release: “We’re grateful to be working with cities and towns that understand how passenger rail service can spur economic development.  This as a great opportunity to use passenger rail to better connect rural and urban communities. It should serve as a model for future projects.”

In our area, Henderson and Franklinton contributed the necessary matching funds for the grant.

Franklinton Mayor Art Wright is quoted in the press release saying, “The Town of Franklinton is looking forward to working with our neighbors along the S-line to develop a community that will support passenger rail. This funding will promote Franklinton’s rich rail history and expand downtown.”

The grant money can be used to develop plans for areas around rail stations.

In Henderson, that plan will need to look at plans for the actual rail station itself.  The only actual passenger station along the line is long gone, and the metal and plexiglass hut that sat at the corner of Williams and Montgomery Streets downtown was removed after the final AMTRAK operated “Silver Star” departed for the final time in the mid 1980s.

The bigger picture is all these smaller pieces are adding up. This grant now, and the next press release about another grant later, and when the news of hiring a new Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission director comes, and with the recent hiring of a new Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission director, and downtown Main Street status in Henderson, and an expanded industrial park, and other growth and development, it’s all chipping away at the problem and putting down new roads to success.

If you’d like to hear more about the S-Line, listen back to TownTalk from October 28, 2020 and NCDOT guest Jason Orthner, Rail Division Director.

 

— NCDOT Press Release

NCDOT Awarded Grant for Development Planning Near Passenger Rail Stations

​Federal funding will help communities plan for development on S-Line corridor

Raleigh — The Federal Transit Authority has awarded the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division a $900,000 grant to help Triangle area communities create plans for development along the S-Line rail corridor.

The S-Line corridor is a passenger rail line that starts at the Virginia border, runs through Raleigh, and ends at the South Carolina state line.

“We’re grateful to be working with cities and towns that understand how passenger rail service can spur economic development,” said Julie White, NCDOT’s deputy secretary for Multimodal Transportation. “This as a great opportunity to use passenger rail to better connect rural and urban communities. It should serve as a model for future projects.”

The following towns contributed matching funds for the grant: Apex, Franklinton, Henderson, Raleigh, Sanford and Wake Forest. The towns will use the grant money to develop plans for the areas around the rail stations. The plans will explore how the rail stations will bolster economic development in their town centers and enable these communities to plan for connections to bus service, micro transit, bicycle paths and greenways.

Mayors of the towns that contributed matching funds to the grant provided the following comments.

Apex Mayor Jacques K. Gilbert said:
“The Town of Apex is thrilled to join the North Carolina Department of Transportation and our regional partners in this forward-thinking effort to plan for the future of passenger rail along the S-Line corridor. Working together, we will realize the substantial economic and mobility benefits of passenger rail for our communities.”

Franklinton Mayor Art Wright said:
“The Town of Franklinton is looking forward to working with our neighbors along the S-line to develop a community that will support passenger rail. This funding will promote Franklinton’s rich rail history and expand downtown.”

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington said:
“Our community was founded on rail traffic in 1841. It is only natural that our resurgence is based on this same driving force for economic development, connecting us to greater opportunities. The regional cooperation and resulting benefit this project represents is government at its best.”

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said:
“This grant is crucial to moving the S-Line project ahead and restoring passenger rail service between Raleigh and Richmond. In the long-term, the S-Line will improve mobility and reduce congestion, not only in Raleigh, but across the region. I am thrilled to continue working with everyone involved in this project, and deeply appreciate FTA’s support.”

Sanford Mayor Chet Mann said:
“Sanford is thrilled with the prospect of having passenger rail on the S-Line. We have a rich train history as we were founded at the rail crossing in 1874 in what is now our Depot Park. We see multimodal transportation as a key component to any growing community. This project will usher in a new wave of economic development around an area in our town already designated for revitalization. We are grateful to be partnering with the NCDOT and all the other stakeholders involved in this project and we are beyond excited at watching what happens as this project evolves.”

Wake Forest Mayor Vivian A. Jones said:
“We’ve been working on bringing passenger rail to Wake Forest for quite a while. We recognize there’s a strong demand out there, so we are excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to getting it done.”

NCDOT

Weldons Mill Road Bridge Closed; Replaced Next Year

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, NCDOT

N.C. Department of Transportation crews closed a Vance County bridge today due to the deterioration of its superstructure.

The Weldons Mill Road bridge over Sandy Creek was built in 1949 and is set to be replaced next year.

The department is scheduled to award a contract to replace the bridge in February. Work would begin in March and be completed by the end of 2021.

Traffic will use New Bethel Church, County Line, Southerland Mill and Vicksboro roads to get around the closure.

Drivers should be mindful of crews working in this area and factor the detour into their commutes.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.