Heavy equipment chews away at a hill on U.S. 1 this week. Funding for the widening of U.S. 1 north of Rockingham has run out, but more may be available next fiscal year.
Projects planned for Richmond County by the N.C. Department of Transportation are already funded.
The funding includes $27.9 million to be spent in Montgomery, Scotland, Lee and Moore counties.
The money is the first half the state will receive for highway improvements through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The remaining half will go to projects within a year.
That second half will be announced within the next 45 days.
NCDOT worked with local planning organizations, such as the Lumber River Council of Governments, to determine which projects will be funded.
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Local governments are continuing efforts to seek stimulus money.
Hamlet City Manager Marchell David said engineers are working on a couple of infrastructure projects which can be ready in 90 days for any possible stimulus money available for cities.
County Manager Jim Haynes said the N.C. Department of Natural Resources was informed the county has water treatment plans “shovel ready.”
“We are even on the list with Rural Development for water lines throughout the county,” he said.
The list of county projects was given to the N.C. Association of County Commissioners when they requested such a list.
“We have given DOT our shovel-ready project at the airport — the pavement overlay — and we have even mentioned the extension of the runway, but it is not shovel ready,” Haynes said.
Utility-related projects have also been discussed with Congressman Larry Kissell.
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The biggest factor in selecting NCDOT projects was whether they could be under contract by June along with safety, mobility, infrastructure health and equitable distribution.
“Our overwhelming goal is to get North Carolina’s economy moving by funding transportation project that will create jobs from the mountains to the coast,” Perdue said. “My administration is working closely with local communities to determine which projects can be ready most quickly and deliver the greatest benefit. I will stress accountability, transparency and efficiency as we use the stimulus funds.”
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