NC Gets Funds To Make Improvements On I-95

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced that the Trump Administration will invest $900 million in American infrastructure through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants program. This includes an award of $22.5 million to Robeson and Cumberland Counties, North Carolina for the I-95 Resiliency and Innovative Technology Improvements.
“The Administration is targeting BUILD Transportation grants to repair, rebuild, and revitalize significant infrastructure projects across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.
Fiscal Year 2019 BUILD Transportation grants are for investments in surface transportation infrastructure and have been awarded on a competitive basis to projects with a significant impact in their local or regional communities. BUILD funding supports roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation.
The I-95 Resiliency and Innovative Technology Improvement Project includes several improvements along I-95 and connected evacuation routes, including:
• Widening approximately 27 miles of I-95 from exit 13 to exit 40 between Lumberton and Fayetteville to 8 lanes
• Rebuilding the overpasses and interchange at exit 19 near Lumberton
• Raising low-lying portions of the interstate and two bridges between exits 17 and 19
• Adding water gauges at strategic locations throughout the corridor.
By raising the interstate in flood-prone areas that were not designed to withstand the magnitude of storms that hit North Carolina in recent years, the reconstructed interstate will incur less damage during major storms and better maintain the interstate in a state of good repair.
The expanded I-95 capacity will facilitate faster evacuations, aligning with safety. Additionally, the installation of flood monitoring devices along I-95 and secondary evacuation routes allows North Carolina Department of Transportation to monitor water levels and direct evacuations accordingly, increasing safe evacuations during major storm events. The project aligns with innovation through the installation of water gauges connected to ITS that support safer evacuations, help reroute traffic in real time, and improve communications to the traveling public.
The program selection criteria encompassed safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, state of good repair, environmental sustainability, innovation, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. For this round of BUILD grants, the maximum grant award is $25 million, and no more than $90 million can be awarded to a single State.

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