The NC Department of Transportation has agreed to widen Interstate 95 from Interstate 40 near Benson to Dunn.
Under a new transportation plan approved Thursday by the NC DOT, I-95 will be widened from 4 to 8 lanes. The widened will occur from the 81 mile marker in Johnston County to the 71 mile marker in Harnett County. Construction is set to begin in 2026.
The DOT also accelerated improvements to the I-95 / US 70 Business interchange in Smithfield. Upgrades were planned for 2026 but will now begin in 2020.
Some of the other projects the DOT would like to complete within the next 10 years in our area include:
- Resurface 11 miles of I-40 starting near Benson to the Sampson County line
- Resurface 16 miles of I-40 from NC 42 (Exit 312) to Benson
- Access improvements to the I-40 / NC 42 interchange (Exit 312) in Cleveland
- Adding additional lanes to I-40 from NC 42 (Exit 312) in Johnston County to US 64 (Exit 301) in Wake County
- Resurface I-95 from Exit 97 in Selma to Exit 107 in Kenly
- Reconstruct the interchange of I-95 and US 701/NC 96 (Exit 90) in Four Oaks
- Widen NC 42 from US 70 in Clayton to Buffalo Road
- Widen NC 42 from NC 50 to US 70 in Clayton
- Widen Buffalo Road to 3 lanes from US 70 near Selma to Old Beulah Road
- New access road from Gordon Road to the new Novo Nordisk facility in Clayton
- Improvements to NC 42 from Buffalo Road to the Wilson County line
- Intersection improvements to Wilson’s Mills Road at Wilson’s Mills Elementary School
- Widen Ricks Road in Selma to 3 lanes from US 70 to US 301
- Extend Kelly Drive from Booker Dairy Road to Buffalo Road in Smithfield
- Replace several bridges including: Beulahtown Road, Bottleneck Road, Old Dam Road, Winston Road, Reedy Prong Church Road, Barber Mill Road, Eatmon Road
- Various highway safety improvements
“Adding projects and moving up the timetable for others is great news for the residents in this area, as it means improved safety and mobility while going to work, school and businesses,” said Division 4 Transportation Board member Gus Tulloss. “I want to thank Division Engineer Tim Little and his staff for their work in helping us move ahead with these important improvements.”
The plan, called the Draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), includes a total of 144 new projects and hundreds of projects with accelerated construction schedules.
The adjustments reflect updated financial information, including projected revenues, and lower inflation and construction cost overruns.
