ROCKY MOUNT – A 1.2-mile stretch of North Old Carriage Road between Nashville and Rocky Mount will be widened to four lanes to ease congestion, enhance safety and plan for growth.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will add a travel lane in each direction between Eastern Avenue and U.S. 64 and construct a raised median. In addition:
- The North Old Carriage Road bridge spanning U.S. 64 will be replaced with a wider structure with multilane roundabouts constructed at the on/off ramps;
- North Old Carriage Road will be widened to include a center turn lane between U.S. 64 and Green Hills Road;
- A single-lane roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Reges Store Road, Green Hills Road and North Old Carriage Road; and
“This project will make it easier and safer for drivers and pedestrians to use this corridor in a growing part of Nash County," said Kevin Bowen, the engineer for NCDOT's Division 4, which is based in Wilson. “We're glad we were able to work with our local partners to develop this project and meet a local transportation need."
This public meeting map from 2018 shows the improvements planned for this corridor, which is expected to experience a 50% growth in traffic by 2040 – from 12,000 vehicles to 18,000 vehicles a day.
To avoid traffic disruptions during construction, the bridge over U.S. 64 will remain open while the new one is built alongside of it.
The NCDOT awarded the $20.3 million contract last week to the lowest, responsive bidder, Barnhill Contracting Co. of Rocky Mount. Work is expected to begin this spring, and the work is expected to be completed toward the end of 2024.
This upcoming construction will complement the ongoing work to widen Eastern and Sunset avenues in this same vicinity near the college, and to convert the Sunset Avenue bridge over Interstate 95 into an interchange. Construction on these improvements began in early 2021 and is expected to be completed by mid-2024.
To learn more about either project, visit this NCDOT webpage. Additionally, learn why the department builds roundabouts and how to navigate them.