N.C. 101 likely to be repaved within a year

Drivers will have more room to negotiate sharp curves and avoid crashes on N.C. 101 by next summer.

Contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation will widen and resurface about 13 miles of the state highway from Havelock to the Craven County line by June 30, 2009, according to Ed Eatmon, construction engineer for the NCDOT Division of Highways' District 2.

Crews will widen the highway by three feet on each side, creating two 12-foot lanes and a 2-foot paved shoulder, Eatmon said.

"The wider shoulders help keep people on the pavement," he said. "They run off (the road) and then they overcorrect, which causes a lot of accidents."

An inch and a half of asphalt will be added to N.C. 101 in the repaving process, said Dwayne Alligood, NCDOT division operations engineer. The first 1.6 miles of the highway will receive an additional 1 1/2-inch layer.

As part of the project, Ferry Road will be resurfaced from its intersection with N.C. 101 to the Cherry Branch ferry terminal, Alligood said.

Bids for the N.C. 101 project will be accepted in May, and work on the highway could take place between July 1 and June 2009. Eatmon said the job could take as little as three months, but scheduling would be the responsibility of contractors.

"It's a sizeable amount of work, and it will be a very needed project," he said. "It's one we've had targeted for a while, and now it's their turn."

Eatmon said the work is estimated to cost between $3.5 million and $4 million.

Craven County Commissioner Theron McCabe, who represents the area, said he's "thrilled" that the main road through the North Harlowe community will be safer to travel. He has lobbied for improvements to the highway for several years and had renewed his pleas after being elected commissioner in 2006.

"That's a big help to Highway 101, and everyone in the community is very happy," McCabe said. "Widening the road is very significant because it gives each person a lot of room to pass."

McCabe said Jason Jones, chairman of the Craven County board, has helped communicate the need for road improvements in Havelock and throughout the county.

He said other roads in eastern Craven County, including Blades Road in the North Harlowe community, also are in need of attention. But, he expressed gratitude to the NCDOT for finding the money to complete the current project.

"I'm very pleased with the DOT," he said. "Late is better than never."