Description

The US 17 Corridor Study includes North Carolina Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) projects U-4751 and R-3300. Project U-4751 is an extension of Military Cutoff Road on new location from Market Street (US 17 Business) to the US 17 Wilmington Bypass (John Jay Burney Jr. Freeway). Project R 3300 is the US 17 bypass of Hampstead. Both projects are part of North Carolina’s Strategic Highway Corridor Initiative, which is an effort to preserve and maximize the long-term interconnectivity of core transportation corridors in North Carolina. Thirteen alternatives have been selected for detailed study. The study corridors are shown on the Alternatives Map.

News and Updates

Project Overview and Purpose

The purpose of the project is to improve the traffic carrying capacity and safety of the US 17 and Market Street corridor in the project area.

Project Highlights

Thirteen alternatives, shown on the Alternatives Map, have been selected for detailed study. Potential environmental, social and economic effects were evaluated to identify alternatives that best meet the purpose and need of the project while minimizing impacts. Input provided by the public, including comments made at the April 2007 Citizens Informational Workshops, was part of the alternatives selection process.

The detailed study alternatives were selected by the US 17 Corridor Study Team. The Study Team, consisting of federal, state and local agency representatives, follows the Merger ’01 Process to reach concurrence at critical milestones related to project development and permitting. The US 17 Corridor Study Team reached agreement on the purpose and need for the project in September 2006 and alternatives for detailed study were selected in August 2007.

The study corridors for alternatives on new alignment are much wider than the right of way area needed for the proposed highway. The study corridors are generally 1,000 feet wide. The recommended right of way width for the proposed Military Cutoff Road Extension is 150 feet. The recommended right of way width for the proposed Hampstead Bypass is 250 feet. The width of the study corridors was chosen to provide opportunities for minimizing impacts to the natural and human environments. The proposed project will not occupy the entire width of the study corridors.

Public Involvement

Public involvement is an important part of the planning process. NCDOT encourages citizen involvement with transportation projects and considers your suggestions and will address your concerns.

Citizens informational workshops for the US 17 Corridor Study were held for the US 17 Corridor Study on April 23, 2007 in Hampstead and on April 24, 2007 in Wilmington. A total of 174 participants signed in at the workshops.

Additional public involvement will be conducted in the future, after the completion of field studies and preliminary design. Project newsletters and notice of any future public meetings will run in local papers and be sent to area residents and property owners by mail.

To have your name added to the project mailing list, please get in touch with one of the project contacts or submit your information on the project contact form. A toll-free project information line is also available in the Contact Information section below.

Project Development Process

Any state agency proposing a project that uses public funds and may have a potential detrimental environmental effect must comply with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

For more information please see the Project Development Process.

Contact Information

Resources for Local Property Owners

In many cases, it is inevitable that a certain amount of private property must be acquired. The displacement of homes and businesses is minimized to the extent practicable. The following brochures will answer questions about this process.

• Relocation Assistance Brochure
• Right-of-Way Acquisition FAQs
• Right-of-Way Acquisition FAQs (Spanish)