March 12, 2009 Issue
421 Widening Project Moves Ahead with Stimulus Funding
After a brief halt, right-of-way property acquisition has resumed for the Highway 421/King Street widening project in Boone, as the project was among 70 transportation projects in the state to receive funding in the first round of federal economic stimulus package allocations.
According to North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue’s office, the N.C. Department of Transportation project will receive $14.4 million in economic stimulus dollars.
The project, also known as TIP U-4020, will widen a 1.1-mile section of U.S. Highway 421 from Hardin Street to N.C. Highway 194 in Boone to a modified four- and six-lane section. Right-of-way (ROW) acquisition cost of the project is estimated at $24 million, and the construction cost is estimated at $14.5 million.
About 25 percent of the ROW acquisitions for the widening project had been purchased by December 2008, but budget cuts forced NCDOT to temporarily stop work on the project. The announcement of stimulus funding allowed ROW acquisitions to resume at the beginning of March, said Daniel Miles, division agent for the Division 11 Right of Way Office.
The project was originally scheduled for an April 2009 letting date, but now the project will be let in June. NCDOT expects all ROW acquisitions to be completed by that time, Miles said.
Until then, expect to see utility work, including the relocation of existing poles and lines and the burial of some utility lines, by local utility companies and the Town of Boone, said Frank Gioscio, NCDOT resident engineer.
NCDOT officials said they intend to complete as much work as possible between the Highway 105 Extension and Highway 194 before the August 2010 opening of the new Watauga High School, located off East King Street.
A visualization of the project is available by clicking to http://www.RegionD.org, selecting the Program Divisions tab and then selecting Regional Transportation. Select Projects from the left menu and scroll down to find the video for the U-4020 King Street project.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
