Sue Book
www.newbernsj.com

A move to designate two North Carolina roadways as future interstate highways is now included in bills in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Before leaving for the recess, Sen. Kay Hagan introduced the Route to Opportunity and Development (ROAD) ACT of 2014, cosponsored by Sen. Richard Burr. It would enable federal transportation improvements to sections of U.S. 17 and U.S. 64 to bring them to interstate status.

As outlined in the bill, the highway would originate in Raleigh and travel through Rocky Mount, Williamston and Elizabeth City in North Carolina and on to Norfolk, Va.

"Designating these highways as a future interstate is another step in improving North Carolina's transportation network," said Hagan. "By continuing to invest in our existing infrastructure, we can put more North Carolinians to work, better link our state's Capitol and the busy port of Hampton Roads to Eastern North Carolina, and ensure federal highway dollars are spent wisely."

Hagan said the bills ensure that the corridor connecting Raleigh and Norfolk is built to interstate standards and travels through Eastern North Carolina. It will also save taxpayer dollars by improving on existing infrastructure and ensure that U.S. 17 and 64 are prioritized when funds are allocated for federal highways.

According to the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), half of the route already meets federal freeway standards, and last year a portion of U.S. 64 between Raleigh and Interstate 95 was designated as a future interstate.

To read the full article on the New Bern Sun Journal's website, please click here.