Road funds may be part of bill

Two Havelock road projects are among 16 being recommended for inclusion in a transportation bill Congress could pass as early as this fall.

U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., have been working to include replacement of the Church Road bridge and the proposed U.S. 70-Slocum Road flyover in a group of 16 high-priority projects.

Kathleen Joyce, spokeswoman for Jones, said he had a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood in May to ask him to identify ways to accelerate federal action on the bridge project. The money could possibly come from Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary funds.

Ken Willis, spokesman for Butterfield, said $1.876 million for the Church Road bridge and $8 million for the Slocum Road overpass could be part of the bill.

"We're hopeful that at least one of these projects will be funded," Willis said. "We have 16 high-priority projects all together. Most of the projects are not very big, but some of them are."

He said large projects, such as $140 million for a U.S. 70 loop around Goldsboro, may be the least likely to get included because the project is so large.

Joyce said Jones requested funding for the U.S. 70-Slocum Road flyover as a high priority project through the Transportation Authorization Bill and is also working with the Department of Defense to identify potential funding to move the project along.

The proposal calls for an exit off U.S. 70 East and overpass to Slocum Road to ease rush-hour traffic congestion to Cherry Point's back gate

The Church Road bridge, built in 1924, is rated as Havelock's worst. The Slocum Creek span is listed on the N.C. Transportation Improvement Program for replacement in 2015.

One plan is for the bridge to be rebuilt parallel to the U.S. 70 bridges crossing Slocum Creek, connecting the service roads between Wendy's and the Hampton Inn.

The proposed allocations do not cover the entire estimated cost of the projects. The bridge project is estimated at $2.35 million, while the U.S. 70-Slocum Road project is estimated at $10 million.

The remaining costs could come from the N.C. Department of Transportation or other sources.

The flyover has been long sought for the intersection at U.S. 70 and Slocum Road, the site of numerous crashes. Every rush hour, traffic backs up into the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 with Marines and Fleet Readiness Center East workers heading to their jobs. The flyover would allow them access to the air station without crossing U.S. 70 West at the traffic light.

A study detailing alternative designs for the intersection is expected to be released later this month or in July.

EDAW was awarded a $339,000 contract for the study. The report will include costs estimates for construction of the proposed designs and acquisition of property for the flyover.

Environmental impacts at the site will also be studied.