The schools are great, the weather is mild, the job market is booming – but how’s the traffic? When considering where to make a new home investment, it’s all too easy to overlook the so-called simple things that make up a family’s day to day routine. Commuting and getting around is an essential daily activity and has such an impact on your quality of life that it’s worth a test drive.
Traveling throughout central and eastern North Carolina almost certainly has drivers touching down on the state’s highway lifeline – Interstate 95. I-95 is a long passage that spans all the way from Maine to Florida and is a crucial corridor for trucking, road trippers, weekenders and more. Often referred to as the “main street of the East Coast,” It is also a famously busy interstate with a steady stream of traffic throughout the year.
In rural areas, this flow of trucks and passenger vehicles can speed along smoothly – however in more populous residential areas, notably Cumberland and Robeson counties, with 60,000 or so vehicles per day that traverse it, I-95 is beginning to feel crowded. Fortunately, the oldest stretch of I-95 is first in line for a series of major federal projects to rehabilitate the interstate and prepare it for a thriving future. $147 million in federal money will be applied to increasing capacity and raising the height of I-95’s bridges. The money will be used to widen 25 miles of I-95 in a couple of different sections, doubling capacity from four lanes to eight. The first section of the highway in Cumberland County runs from I-95 Business on the north side of Fayetteville to the Long Branch Road exit. Officials are expecting to break ground on this initial fifteen miles before the end of the year. The next segment runs from I-95 on the south side of Fayetteville to highway 301 in Lumberton, Robeson County.
This thorough re-assessment of traffic needs in the area is part of an exhaustive statewide proposal to make highway improvements in every county in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Transportation received the necessary funds through a federal grant under the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program. Higher overpasses, safer paved shoulders, longer entry ramps, and pedestrian bridges are all a part of the plan. Beyond this initial stretch of highway, another ten-mile stretch from Exit 71 to Interstate 40 is scheduled to begin next summer, meaning a total of twenty-five miles could be under construction in the coming year.
Highway 70, also in eastern North Carolina, is another thoroughfare that will receive benefits from the state-wide highway improvement project. Drivers connecting from Raleigh to bustling Research Triangle, as well as commuters from Durham and nearby Greensboro, will benefit from a suite of improvements. There are plans to erect message boards that offer drivers a snapshot of road, weather and traffic conditions. There are also plans to install 300 miles of fiber optic cable and cell towers along both the U.S. 70 and I-95.
Additional plans that were submitted in the DOT’s draft proposal include projects across all transportation modes – air travel, bicycle travel, pedestrian improvements, ferry services, and public transportation – in all 100 counties in the state. Officials worked to prioritize the projects based on technical data, budget requirements, and ideas from local community leaders and residents.
The creation of this proposal and the acceleration of progress that we’re seeing for Cumberland and Robeson Counties bodes very well for new residents in eastern North Carolina. To see the state addressing infrastructure on a mass level and adding bells and whistles to highways that are commuter pathways indicates economic confidence and a government-supported mission to foster ease and comfort in this evolving residential hub. North Carolina is filling with boom towns more and more each day. Which will you choose for your next real estate investment?
Over the course of the past 28 years, H&H Homes has built over eight thousand new homes. We are dedicated to providing structurally superior, highly energy-efficient new homes at a tremendous value. We have a vast selection of homes available in all shapes and sizes across 27 communities in the Fayetteville area. Or, nearby to Cumberland county, we offer dozens of different floorplans across 10 communities in Raleigh. Looking for the support of experts as you settle into the home buying process? Check out all of the amazing resources we offer homebuyers. We see purchasing, constructing and building out a home as a collaborative journey between you, ourselves and experts we trust. We will partner with you every step of the way, from working side by side with financial advisors to talking through your home’s blueprint, to making it easy for you to personalize elements in your home from cabinets to flooring.
You can learn more about our full suite of floorplans, communities, and cities we build in across North and South Carolina here or search by city on our homepage. The team at H&H Homes is passionate about building homes that will ease you into a comfortable, economical and eco-friendly future. In addition to Robeson and Cumberland counties, we are actively building in up and coming communities throughout North and South Carolina, including Brunswick County NC, Charlotte NC, Goldsboro NC, Greensboro NC, Jacksonville NC, Knightdale NC, Myrtle Beach SC, Pinehurst NC, and Wilmington NC. Get in touch today to learn more about us.
Call us at 910-676-7230 or visit our website today to find out more about the many advantages of an H&H home! http://www.hhhomes.com/