Widening project extended

BAYBORO — The discovery of many uncharted underground utilities along with old storage tanks dating back to the 1950s has extended the completion date of the final segment of the $47.8 million N.C. 55 widening project through Pamlico County.

The final stages through Alliance and Bayboro were scheduled for a June finish, but that has been delayed until Sept. 29. DOT officials said the delay will not add cost to the contract.

 “It’s utility issues, and drainage issues,” said Johnny Metcalfe, the state Department of Transportation’s resident engineer for this area. “They weren’t mapped out. There was no indication of where any existing utilities were other than when we found them. And, we found a lot of them.”

As construction progressed through the two towns, storage tanks — commercial and residential — were found and had to be removed.

 “We ran across old utilities like that which weren’t utilized anymore, but they were still there and they were in the way,” he continued.  “You had contaminated soil we had to get out of there. But, by and large the utilities were all existing utilities that were functional — gas, water, sewer, telephone and so forth.”

Metcalfe told the Sun Journal in April of a possible extention of the June target date.

"It is possible that the work in the Bayboro area will stretch into the summer months due to the frequent underground utility conflicts, the numerous driveway connections and additional work at Third Street," Metcalfe said.

Some design changes on traffic patterns, relocation of a traffic light and widening of a side street have also added work.

Metcalfe said the changes included widening a block of Third Street to South Street in Bayboro.

Eastbound N.C. 55 traffic that would have turned left onto Second Street beside the Bayboro House Hotel will have to go one block to Third Street to make the turn.  Also, Second Street beside the county jail will no longer have access to N.C. 55.

There will be traffic islands at the end of the project, where N.C. 55 intersects N.C. 304, which goes to Mesic, Vandemere and Goose Creek Island.

N.C. 55 will continue east as a two-lane highway to Oriental.

The traffic islands were included in the plans after the location of a traffic light was moved from the N.C. 304 intersection to Third Street. 

“That is something the traffic engineers in Raleigh decided was the safest way to route traffic,” he said.

The county administrative offices, courthouse and the Bean coffee shop are on three of the corners at Third Street, the site of what will be the second traffic light in Pamlico County. The other light is in Grantsboro at the intersection of N.C. 55 and N.C. 306.

The total project is 14 miles, beginning in Craven County. It has been built in three segments, beginning in 2003.

The original two-lane highway is now five lanes until it gets to Bayboro, where there will be four lanes.

The original Bayboro layout had three lanes — east, west and a center turn.

Charlie Hall can be reached at (252) 635-5667 or chall@freedomenc.com.