ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham bypass, which could begin construction as early as Nov. 25 after contracts were awarded last week, will be a boon to business in Rockingham, according to local and state officials.
The bypass will be 7.2 miles long and will connect U.S. 220 South (across from the Northside Drive intersection) with the U.S. 74 bypass west of Rockingham to form a portion of the future Interstate 73/74. The four-lane, median-divided freeway is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2023, according to the Department of Transportation.
Sen. Tom McInnis, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee for Policy and Appropriations, said that this project is the result of decades of preparation and that anytime an interstate highway runs through a county, “the economic benefits are tremendous.”
“People that were not going to stop (in Richmond County) will be able to move on through and those folks who we do want to attract will be able to slow down and see what we have to offer,” McInnis said in an interview.
The transportation opportunities provided by the interstate add to Richmond County’s already strong rail, water and sewer infrastructure — as well as the workforce being trained by Richmond Community College — which will help attract industry, McInnis explained.
“We have infrastructure to provide growth opportunities for many years to come because of the U.S. 74 Business route through (Rockingham) as well as U.S. 1 being widened — which will eventually be a 4-lane road from Rockingham to Raleigh,” McInnis said.
Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump echoed McInnis’ assessment, calling the bypass a “long term positive” because it will “significantly reduce beach bypass traffic congestion during peak months.” Crump said that U.S. 74 Business (East Broad Avenue) may see “a little less congestion” with the new bypass, but history proves there will be a net benefit.
He recalled concerns about the first bypass, U.S. 74, which cuts south of Rockingham and Hamlet, but those concerns never manifested.
“Rockingham has experienced significant new business growth and business redevelopment along the U.S. 74 Business corridor since the first leg of the bypass opened,” Crump said in an email. “Rockingham is well positioned geographically and, along with sitting at the convergence of several major highways and interstate 73/74, Rockingham will continue to draw travelers and visitors into town as they pass through to other destinations. Rockingham and Richmond County offers a lot of opportunities and reasons for folks to stop in and come for visits.”
Vecellio & Grogan Inc. of Beckley, West Virginia was awarded the contract with the low-bid of $146.1 million.