NCDOT manages one of the largest roadway systems in the United States, second only to Texas. This level of responsibility combined with continued growth in vehicle ownership and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), places a significant daily demand on North Carolina's highway infrastructure. The condition of the existing system is stressed, while much of the improvement program is oriented towards new highway construction. The highway analysis in the Statewide Transportation Plan identified a growing list of backlog and anticipated needs within the existing system, including:

• Nearly 32,000 of the 78,844 miles (41%) of state-maintained highways in North Carolina currently have significant pavement condition deficiencies
• Almost 7,000 of the State's 17,000 bridges (41%) are currently deemed "deficient", i.e., considered in either poor condition and/or lacking adequate load carrying capacity
• Future maintenance/preservation needs (over the next 25 years) are expected to be almost $25 billion
• Future modernization needs (over the next 25 years) are expected to be almost $20 billion

Further delay in addressing these needs will result in more costly reconstruction projects in the future and adversely impact safety to the traveling public. According to The Road Information Program (TRIP), declining safety features and poor pavement conditions are costing North Carolina motorists $5.3 billion annually in the form of traffic accidents, additional vehicle operating costs, and delays¹. TRIP also reports North Carolina's traffic fatality rate to be 13 percent higher than the national average, in part due to increasing congestion, but also due to deteriorating design and physical roadway conditions such as poorly maintained medians, lack of adequate shoulders, and antiquated intersections and traffic signal systems². Declining safety features along with unchecked development in and around key corridors in the State continue to highlight the need for broad operational improvements and greater coordination of planning between state and local entities.

Delivering transportation service is also becoming more complex and challenging, both nationally and in North Carolina. Past legislation, historical roles and responsibilities, and environmental, land-use, and social equity concerns govern the life of a highway project as it moves from planning to construction. Implementation of recent environmental streamlining efforts by the NCDOT, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources may result in a 20% reduction in overall delivery time. However, many high-profile, new highway construction projects face a greater share of environmental hurdles and public opposition requiring additional time and a concentration of resources. Legislative mandates require the Department to stay focused on expanding the system; however, flexibility is needed to make proactive, strategic improvements in light of an aging highway system and plan policy direction.

VMT, Population, and NCDOT's Budget

The financial resources needed to keep pace with North Carolina's list of infrastructure needs falls far short of what is required and the gap will only widen in the future. Recent trends suggest VMT to be growing at a rate seven times faster than that of the Department's budget and almost four times the rate of population (see graphic below). With no new significant funding sources identified in the near term, NCDOT must act to improve and obtain greater efficiency out of critical highway assets. The Strategic Highway Corridors initiative addresses this challenge by focusing the Department on a series of highways intended to promote economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and improved travel continuity between regions and communities.