New pavement coming to N.C. 101

The paving and widening of N.C. 101 through Havelock to the Carteret County line could begin as early as two weeks, according to a N.C. Department of Transportation engineer.

Johnny Metcalf, DOT resident engineer in New Bern, said the work is to be done by the S.T. Wooten Company of Wilson. The company has been busy for the last several months working on the N.C. 43 connector with U.S. 70 west of New Bern, but that work is nearly complete.

"If the weather is good, I can't see any reason that they couldn't be finished in two weeks," Metcalf said.

Gov. Bev Perdue is coming for a ribbon cutting for that project on June 22.

S.T. Wooten did paving and milling in patches along N.C. 101 in 2008, but was pulled off the $3.3 million contract due to budgetary reasons by the state. Paving of the two-lane highway had originally been scheduled to begin in June of last year.

Metcalf said S.T. Wooten would be paid out of the state's fiscal year budget for 2009-2010, which begins July 1.

The project runs from Fontana Boulevard east for 13 miles to the Carteret County line.

N.C. 101 will be widened four feet on either side and resurfaced with 1 1/2 inches of asphalt.

Included in the contract is the resurfacing of about four miles of N.C. 306 from N.C. 101 to the Cherry Branch ferry terminal. That road will not be widened, however.

Metcalf estimated the work would be finished in about a month and a half.