From Staff Reports

The next step in widening US 158 from Roanoke Rapids to the Murfreesboro Bypass will take place next week.

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials have scheduled three public hearings in the local area. The purpose of the informal hearings is to provide information regarding the design and location of the proposed project, and to obtain public input.

The public hearings, all from 4-7 p.m., are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Conway Middle School, 400 East Main Street, Conway;

Wednesday, Aug. 15 at Garysburg Town Hall, 504 Old Highway Road, Garysburg; and

Thursday, Aug. 16 at the Northampton County Cultural & Wellness Center, 9536 NC 305 Highway, Jackson.

Interested citizens may drop by at any time during the above mentioned hours. NCDOT representatives will be available in an informal setting to answer questions and receive comments. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will also be provided. There will not be a formal presentation. Additional material may be submitted until Sept. 17.

NCDOT proposes to widen US 158 from the I-95 / NC 46 interchange to the Murfreesboro Bypass. The Least Environmentally Damaging and Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) has been selected. The selected alternative will utilize the existing highway in some sections, while other sections will be constructed on a new location.

The widening of US 158 will convert the existing two-lane highway to a four-lane, median divided highway that will include some service roads. The proposed highway will have 12-foot lanes, paved shoulders, and a 46-foot wide grassy median. Additional right of way and the relocation of homes and businesses will be required for this project.

Maps showing the design and a copy of the approved environmental document, State Final Environmental Impact Statement, are available for public review at the Garysburg Town Hall, and the Northampton County Cultural & Wellness Center. The maps are available for viewing online at http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/US158Widening.

Anyone desiring additional information may contact Kimberly Hinton, Human Environment Unit, 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, by telephone (919) 707-6072; or via email khinton@ncdot.gov.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Hinton as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Persons who speak Spanish and do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.