Future local highway projects put on hold: NCDOT Division 9 official cites funding issues for pulling back on major road plans

BERMUDA RUN — Remember the excitement created by the recent highway project rankings for the 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Development Plan when a Bermuda Run project was ranked No. 1 on the list?

Well, a detour involving funding issues has come up regarding the top-ranked highway on the Winston-Salem Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Prioritization 7.0 list of local point assignment methodology.

That means Project H184620, which calls for widening N.C. 801 to a multi-lane roadway from Oak Valley Boulevard to U.S. 158 with bike lanes and sidewalks at a soaring cost to NCDOT of $73.3 million — and no local match — is on hold along with other contenders in the process.

Pat Ivey, NCDOT Division 9 engineer, and John Rhyne, deputy director, gave presentations at last Tuesday night’s Bermuda Run Town Council meeting. It included a transportation update, which featured a breakdown of Local Projects, STBG-DA Pedestrian Projects and Future Projects/Prioritization 7.0.

Ivey said that a combination of higher inflation and a current negative $15 million in funding availability for Division 9 as a result of having a significant number of projects in recent years in the area that covers the counties of Forsyth, Davie, Davidson, Rowan and Stokes will alter what’s ahead for various highway and pedestrian paths.

“What does that mean?” Ivey questioned. “First, there will be no new projects considered in the division needs category for this two-year version of the STIP. We redo these programs every two years. Then, we have to cover those $15 million. We believe we can accommodate and cover with simply adjusting some of the schedules on some of our current division needs projects so that we don’t have to decommit any of those projects.”

The Prioritization 7.0 future projects include:

• Project H230557 — U.S. 158, Lewisville-Clemmons Road to Bermuda Run Roundabout, 2.41 miles; widen existing roadway to three-lane section with curb gutter, bike lanes and sidewalk from Lewisville-Clemmons Road to Harper Road with a roadway reconfiguration from Harper Road to the Bermuda Run Roundabout; estimated cost — $76.7 million.
• Project H184620 — N.C. 801, Oak Valley Boulevard to U.S. 158, 1.82 miles; widen to multi-lane roadway with bike lanes and sidewalk or possibly a multi-use pathway instead; estimated cost — $73.3 million.
• Project H090546 — U.S. 158, Baltimore Road to N.C. 801, 1.59 miles; widen existing roadway to two-lane section with center-turn lane with curb gutter, bike lanes and sidewalk; add additional turn lanes at the intersection with N.C. 801 and through lane on northbound N.C. 801; estimated cost — $47.3 million.
• Project H185121 — Intersection of U.S. 158 and N.C. 801, 0.5 miles; upgrade intersection by adding left-turn lanes on U.S. 158 eastbound onto N.C. 801 northbound; estimated cost — $3.5 million.

“So these projects will compete in the regional level, which includes the primary roads,” Ivey said. “We submitted them in various ways in the hope we could get something in there. The intersection project is a little over $3 million and actually scored very well. That one has a fairly good chance of possibly receiving some funding under the regional impact category.”

Mayor Mike Brannon then offered more context.

“In that case, you have an intersection project that’s roughly $3 million to $3.5 million competing with an 801 widening project that is $73 million,” Brannon said.

“So you see the dilemma that we’re talking about right there,” Ivey added.

Then, regarding the Prioritization 7.0 future projects, Brannon pointed out that they fall into the 10-year window STIP plan and will “mark time for a couple of years and come back to that and evaluate where those projects are, but there is not work today that can be committed on that.”

Local Projects that are committed projects and moving forward include:

• Baltimore Road Extension: Baltimore Road to I-40, construct two-lane extension of Baltimore Road and interchange at I-40; plans are 75 percent complete; right-of-way acquisition in process; let, October 2025; estimated cost — $35 million.
• Lewisville-Clemmons Road: U.S. 158 to Peace Haven Road, 1.5 miles; operational and safety improvements; right-of-way acquisition, September 2024; let, October 2026; estimated cost, $69.3 million.

On this project, Rhyne said: “This is a very complex project with a lot of right-of-way issues.”

There are two STBG-DA Pedestrian Projects, which will have a 20 percent town match unlike the highway projects, and are also on hold barring any changes:

• Blue Heron Trail Phase 3: North side of U.S. 158 from Royal Troon Drive to N.C. 801, 0.42 miles; install paved asphalt 10-foot shared-use path along within the right-of-way of U.S. 158, estimated cost, $1.045 million.
• N.C. 801 Sidewalk: West side of N.C. 801 from U.S. 158 to Yadkin Valley Road, 0.39 miles, install five-foot sidewalk; estimated cost, $1.072 million.

Even though many projects will be on hold because of lack of funding, Ivey, who is retiring at the end of the year after 24 years leading Division 9, said that local input points will be assigned for projects going forward just in case things change and additional funding becomes available.

“We do feel even though things appear to be a little bleak in terms of funding right now, Prioritization 8.0 (in two years) may be bit better for two reasons — the hope that inflation is leveling off and not as big an issue, and assuming transportation revenues are the same if not better,” he said. “If those things occur, we will be in a very good position to hopefully address some of these really important needs that we may not be able to get to this year just because of the availability of funding.”

In other highlights from last Tuesday night’s meeting, the council:

• Heard from council member Melinda Szeliga, who announced that she was tendering her resignation, effective Aug. 14, due to a career change that could cause a conflict with her service on the board. She will remain an active member of the Bermuda Run Vision Committee.
• Heard from Town Manager Andrew Meadwell on establishing funding sources and budget for The Flags at Blue Heron Trail project, which has been bid out twice, with $140,000 appropriated for construction — and $80,000 appropriated from the General Fund balance and $60,000 from the Davie County Community Foundation. “The work that was achieved by this committee has not gone unnoticed,” Brannon said before unanimous council approval.
• Also heard from Meadwell regarding the town’s road paving project — for two miles of street paving  — with Blythe Construction Inc.-DBA Hanes Construction, asking for approval for work to be completed at a cost of $635,943. It was approved unanimously.
• Appointed Kristy Bumgarner (Bermuda Run East), Cody Crissman (Bermuda Run Business Community) and Cathy Ring (Kinderton Representative) to the Bermuda Run Vision Committee.

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