Drivers can no longer go straight across U.S. 17 Business (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) at Hotel Drive or Berne Square Shopping Center in New Bern. Instead, they must turn left or right.
North Carolina Department of Transportation reconfigured the intersection at U.S. 17 Business (Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard) and Hotel Drive as a “thru-cut” in August 2026.
A little history
The New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Coordinating Committee talked about the changes in October 2024. The MPO administrator told the committee the project had been submitted for funding through Regional Traffic Safety. TCC members “raised concerns about U turn movements pushing concerns further down the corridor and right turn lane congestion,” according to minutes. “There was some discussion regarding concerns of increasing traffic to side streets, ability to make U turn movements, and signal phasing.”
The New Bern Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution supporting a thru-cut intersection for the Hotel Drive and U.S. 17 intersection on Feb. 25, 2025.
In August 2025, the MPO Technical Advisory Committee talked about another project that will “add a third left turn lane on the Highway 70 west bound off ramp” and “concerns were expressed that this project could impact the Hotel Drive thru-cut project. Since it is adding a left turn, no impacts to Hotel Drive are expected,” according to minutes.
Craven County government took over the New Bern Area MPO in July 2026, as reported here.
The Craven County MPO’s Facebook page said the change was made due to a “high number of crashes caused by the thru lane conflicting with turning movements at this intersection. Pedestrian facilities are also being installed with a pedestrian refuge island and crosswalks.”
Public response
Several people shared their thoughts on the CCMPO’s Facebook page.
Someone asked what was wrong with the traditional 4-way light?
The MPO replied, “That light did have particularly high crash rates and needed a unique solution to prevent thru traffic from going across because motorist were either running the light straight or other drivers were not using their signals to indicate their turns and failing to yield.” They said it was paid for “by NCDOT Traffic Safety Dollars and done because of the severity and frequency of crashes at this particular intersection.”
Others said:
“It prevents people from getting t-boned. It’s stupid until you get t-boned and then raise your fists to the sky that the government should do something about it…”
“And you don’t think down at the next light doing a U-turn isn’t going to cause more problems? Seen two people almost get hit making a U-turn.”
“A simple no right turn on red would have made much more sense!!!”
“Because of this crap I have almost got in multiple accidents due to people turning right off of hotel drive and not looking out for other cars. I’ve had 3 different cars pull out in front me less than a cars length away at that spot while I’m trying to go straight down M.L.K. The way to stop car accidents isn’t to add more stupidity to the mix.”
“Looks like some businesses may lose traffic to the building bc of the waste of time”
“You could have made this more simple by having everyone, including folks turning, not yield to straight going traffic, but each having their own green/red light….IMO!!”
“…I guess it does make it a bit safer for pedestrians, but they could have implemented a two-stage pedestrian crossing with a waiting spot in the median for the one or two people who do cross here. Would have been more cost effective, spent less time on it, and been less of an inconvenience for motorists and not any less safe for pedestrians.”
“Good improvement, but don’t you think you should highlight the curb to be more visible?”
“…Someone have a kid in the road building business?”
“What about the fuel trucks that have to turn left to go the on ramps away from here?”
All the comments can be found on the CravenCountyMPO Facebook page.
What do you think?
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.