Work on new Outer Loop section could begin this fall

Jul 30, 2010 — The Fayetteville Observer

Andrew Barksdale

Jul. 30, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Construction of a key segment of Fayetteville's Outer Loop -- to link Fort Bragg to Interstate 95 -- could start as early as this fall, two officials said Thursday.

The project ranks fourth on a new draft list of North Carolina's funding priorities for urban loops. The five-mile segment of Interstate 295 would span from Murchison Road to Ramsey Street.

The ranking in priorities, along with the shovel-ready nature of the project, should bolster the need to award a contract this year, said Ray McIntyre, the Transportation Improvement Project manager for eastern North Carolina.

McIntyre works for the N.C. Department of Transportation, which has re-evaluated 25 loop projects in 10 cities using a formula-driven method.

The state released a copy of the draft list to The Fayetteville Observer. Three projects -- in Durham, Charlotte and Wilmington -- ranked higher than Fayetteville's loop.

A draft construction schedule for urban loops shows work on I-295 from Murchison Road to Ramsey Street starting in this fiscal year. Although that 10-year construction schedule awaits more public input and a final vote by the Board of Transportation next June, McIntyre said he thinks the board will act on the unbuilt I-295 segment much sooner.

Gary Ciccone, a Board of Transportation member from Fayetteville, is optimistic, too.

"I don't expect any holdups at all and for it to move forward this fall," Ciccone said.

If both men are right, a freeway between Bragg Boulevard and I-95 will be open by 2014, creating faster highway access to Fort Bragg and northern Fayetteville.

Interstate 295, as it exists now, starts at Interstate 95 and ends at Ramsey Street.

Work is under way along another segment, 2.5 miles between Bragg Boulevard and Murchison Road. Last year, the state awarded a $52 million contract to grade and build eight bridges on that segment using federal stimulus dollars. The latest draft construction schedule shows that segment will be paved with travel lanes sometime after July 2012.

The state has estimated it would cost $139.5 million to build the section between Murchison Road and Ramsey Street.

Thanks to military base realignment changes that must be completed by next year, Fort Bragg is growing. The Army wants to eventually close Bragg Boulevard on the military post for security reasons and reroute civilian traffic onto Murchison Road. Extending I-295 between the boulevard and Murchison Road, with interchanges at both roads, is critical to that plan.

In fall 2008, the Board of Transportation was prepared to award a $270 million contract to extend Fayetteville's loop from Ramsey Street all the way to the All American Freeway. State budget problems halted the work, and some Charlotte area politicians groused that Fayetteville had leapfrogged their city in loop funding.

Charlotte will get its outer loop finished. In June, the state awarded a $160 million bid to complete the last five miles of I-485.

Fayetteville leaders were pleased with the latest developments for Fayetteville's loop.

"All of our community has come together and worked hard to lobby for the necessary support for this important project," Mayor Tony Chavonne said. "This positive development will help address a major transportation need for our civilian and military communities."

Doug Peters, president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, called it a "great opportunity for Fayetteville as well as Fort Bragg, as it helps to meet our combined objective of national security and economic development opportunity along the new corridor."

Staff writer Andrew Barksdale can be reached at barksdalea@fayobserver.com or 486-3565.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0072-47465631