Work on two of Craven County’s largest highway projects are moving forward on schedule, according to recent data from the New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the state Department of Transportation.
According to information released Monday, work on the Havelock Bypass is now 69.98% finished, while improvements to U.S. 70 in James City stand at 37.16% complete.
When finished, the Havelock Bypass will be a 10.3-mile four-lane freeway with a 70 mph speed limit. The bypass is being built on the southwest side of Havelock and U.S. 70 beginning north of the Havelock city limit and will extend approximately 10 miles to just south of the Craven-Carteret county line.
The project is designed to help improve traffic and freight movement along the U.S. 70 Corridor, the connection route from the Morehead City Port to Raleigh that will make up the future Interstate 42.
The Federal Highway Administration approved the Havelock Bypass design in December 2016. Construction began in the fall of 2019 and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2024, according to the current NCDOT timeline.
The total cost for the Havelock Bypass project is estimated at $221,253,092, with $167.2 million set for construction, $12.5 million for utility relocation and an additional $13.8 million for right-of-way acquisition.
James City U.S. 70 improvements
Construction continues to progress on upgrades to a 5.1-mile stretch of U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to the Neuse River Bridge in James City. The project will convert intersections at Williams, Airport, Grantham and Thurman roads and Taberna Way into interchanges and provide access via ramps. The five intersections will become new highway exits for the future I-42.
Last week a new roundabout replacing stop signs opened to traffic connecting Grantham Road to the U.S. 70 service roads. The new roads were built to move the existing service roads away from the highway and improve safety and access to local businesses, according to NCDOT.
The roundabout will be part of a new traffic pattern that will eventually include four roundabouts being built for the U.S. 70 improvement project in James City.
The project began in the spring of 2022 and is expected to be completed by mid-2025 at an estimated cost of $322 million, which includes $77.8 million for property acquisition.
Improvements between James City and Havelock
Work to improve to freeway standards the approximately seven mile section of U.S. 70 from the Havelock Bypass to east of Thurman Road is approximately 7.02% complete, according to data released this week.
As part of that project, interchanges will be built at three locations: Stately Pine Road, West Fisher Road/East Fisher Avenue , and West Camp Kiro Road/East Camp Kiro Road. According to NCDOT, driveways, intersecting streets and median crossovers will be removed, and service roads extended along portions of U.S. 70 to provide access for property owners and local traffic.
Right-of-way acquisition for the project began in the fall of 2023 and construction is set to begin next spring. A completion date for the work has been set for the summer of 2028.
NCDOT has set the project’s total cost at $275.1 million, with construction spending accounting for more than 80% of that amount.
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.