Former North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT) Division Representative G.R. Kindley is “happy and pleased” with Gov. Perdue’s choice of Laurinburg businessman David Burns to replace him on its board.

Kindley explained Thursday he has known Burns for more than 25 years, and worked with him during secondary road meetings with the NC DOT board when Burns served as Scotland County Commission chair.

“I think it is an excellent appointment,” Kindley said. “He’s a good, good person, and a person of integrity. I am confident that he is the type of person who will be a representative all of the eight counties in the division.”

Kindley cited two major long-term projects that will benefit Richmond County and the state that “he left behind for lack of funding.”

These are the proposed Ellerbe Bypass, from U.S. 220 to Highway 74 near the Pee Dee River Bridge, and the four-laning of U.S. 1 north of Rockingham.

“Those are two major projects that I left behind,” Kindley said. “They are important projects that won’t only benefit Richmond County, but will also benefit the traveling public.”

As the newly-inducted NC DOT Division Eight Representative, Burns pledged his support for seeing the Highway 1 expansion project in Richmond County through to its end and expressed an openness to hearing ideas from people in Richmond County on future projects when money becomes available.

“I think it makes a lot of sense, it’s already in the works and it’s good for that part of our area,” Burns said of the U.S. 1 project in a telephone interview.

He said that since being installed on the board last week, he has made several phone calls to familiarize himself with this and other projects in the eight-county area, including Richmond County.

“(The Highway 1) project is cut up into about six different phases,” he said. “The section near the racetrack is slated to be the first completed, and that should be ready in early 2014.”

He said that other phases of the road construction don’t yet have a completion date scheduled.

“Particularly right there coming into Rockingham, it is going to be a ways out before they can get that part finished,” Burns said.

He said the completion of the U.S. 1 expansion should put Richmond County in a good position to capitalize on its major thoroughfares.

Once the work is done, U.S. 1 will be four-laned all the way from Rockingham to Raleigh.

“You’ve got the 74 Bypass, 220 coming in and then you’ll have a four-lane Highway 1, so Richmond County should be in pretty good shape,” Burns said.

He said he was unfamiliar with other projects in Richmond County, as of yet, as he attempts to get up to speed in his new position.

“If anyone has any suggestions on things, I’ll be happy to listen to them,” he said.

Burns said he grew up in Moore County and works in Scotland County and is involved in farming, banking and other occupations.

“The business climate I’m involved with means I have ties in Richmond and Montgomery counties, as well,” he said.

The vacancy Burns filled on the board was created when Kindley asked Gov. Perdue to replace him after 16 years on the panel.

A section of the U.S. 74 Bypass in Richmond County is named in honor of Kindley, a former Rockingham mayor.

Burns will represent Scotland, Chatham, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Montgomery, Randolph and Richmond counties for the next four years.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.