The long awaited, much anticipated widening of Colington Road, one of the busiest secondary roads in North Carolina, is finally scheduled to begin this spring.
The State Board of Transportation last month awarded a nearly $20 million contract to the Fred Smith Company of Raleigh for the project that runs the full 4.5 mile length of the two-lane road from U.S. 158 to its end near Island Drive.
According to a N.C. Department of Transportation news release the contract includes:
- Pavement resurfacing
- Seven-foot wide paved shoulders between Colington Drive and Bermuda Bay Drive to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians
- Realignment of several substandard curves
- Additional turn lanes
- Raising the grade on flood-prone sections of the road and other drainage improvements to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding incidents
“We look forward to serving the people who live within this immediate area and know the impact of the completed project will be significant,” said Jeff Allen, Eastern Division Vice President of Fred Smith Company.
The same contractor is currently working on improvements to West Third Street in Kill Devil Hills that include new utility lines, storm water drains and a sidewalk.
Under the terms of the contract, work can begin on the project as early as February, with all substantial roadwork completed by the fall of 2023. Final completion of the project is scheduled for the spring of 2024.
