Governor McCrory Celebrates Opening of Completed Goldsboro Bypass

Press Release

Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson joined state and local representatives Friday morning to open the completed U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass. The new bypass will relieve heavy traffic congestion, improve local access and increase safety along the corridor.

"The Goldsboro Bypass is a great example of what we are working to accomplish throughout the state, relieving the bottlenecks that are not just an obstacle to efficient travel, but also to increased prosperity and improved quality of life," Governor McCrory said. "This bypass brings us closer to realizing our vision for this corridor and the many benefits that come from improved highway connections."

The 11.9-mile eastern section that opens today completes the bypass, which now spans more than 20 miles from U.S. 70 just west of N.C. 581 in Wayne County to U.S. 70 just east of Promise Land Road in Lenoir County. The construction cost for the entire bypass project is approximately $235 million, meeting its planned budget expectations.

The project was completed in three sections, with the 3.9-mile central section opening to traffic in December 2011 and the 5.9-mile western section opening in October 2015.

"The Goldsboro Bypass illustrates how North Carolina is improving mobility and preparing for growth through new transportation infrastructure," Secretary Tennyson said. "We are able to complete more critical improvements like this throughout North Carolina thanks to the 2015 budget signed by Governor McCrory that added more than $700 million in new funding for transportation projects."

The new bypass is a major part of Governor McCrory's 25-Year Transportation Vision to enhance travel safety and to better connect North Carolinians to jobs, education, healthcare and recreation opportunities.

Specifically, the bypass will provide greater access to key destinations along the U.S. 70 corridor, including Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the State Port in Morehead City, and the Global TransPark in Kinston, as well as North Carolina's Crystal Coast. The project will also improve connections to Interstate 95. On Wednesday, The American Association of State and Transportation approved I-42 as the designation for the U.S. 70 corridor between I-40 and Morehead City.

"The designation of the U.S. 70 corridor as an interstate will facilitate economic growth in Eastern North Carolina by enhancing freight movement and encouraging businesses to move to the region," continued Governor McCrory.

New transportation projects in the state's current 10-year plan are funded through the Strategic Mobility Formula, a new way of more efficiently investing transportation dollars by using a data-driven scoring process along with local input to fund more projects and create more jobs. The new mobility formula was passed into law in 2013 under Governor McCrory's leadership.

The road will be open to traffic this afternoon, following the conclusion of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Further improvements to the road, such as the installation of large overhead signs to delineate the U.S. 70 Bypass, will be completed after the opening. NCDOT has notified private mapping companies to ensure the bypass will populate on mobile phones.

For more information on the U.S. Goldsboro Bypass project, visit the project's website.

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