The North Carolina Board of Transportation awarded contracts totaling $6.2 million for highway projects in six counties at its meeting July 7 in Raleigh.

The contracts were for projects in Pender, Granville, Davidson, Forsyth, Rowan and Haywood counties.

Included were contracts to:

• Repair damage caused by landslides at two locations on I-40 near the Tennessee state line.

The contract was awarded to Phillips & Jordan Inc., of Knoxville, TN, for $3.3 million. Work is expected to begin Aug. 1 with completion scheduled in June 2006;

• Upgrade and install guardrails on U.S. 52 in Forsyth County from the Davidson County line to the Stokes County line.

The contract also called for installing guardrails on roadway approaches to the bridge on U.S. 52 over Second Creek south of Rockwell in Rowan County and on NC 49 over NC 109 south of Complex in Davidson County.

The contract was awarded to Reynolds Fence & Guardrail Inc., of Indian Trail, for $483,105. Work will begin between Aug. 1 and March 1, 2006, with completion scheduled 70 days thereafter;

• Widen and resurface sections of Gate 2 Road (SR 1003) and Cash Road (SR 1728) southeast of Butner in Granville County.

The contract was awarded to Rea Contracting LLC, of Charlotte, for $1.6 million. Work is expected to begin Aug. 1 with completion scheduled in November; and

• Replace the bridge over Shaken Creek on Old Maple Hill Road (SR 1520) southwest of Maple Hill in Pender County.

The contract was awarded to Atwell Construction Co. Inc., of Greenville, for $788,307. Work is expected to begin Aug. 1 with completion scheduled in May 2006.

In other action, the board adopted the 2006 to 2012 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is NCDOT’s blueprint for statewide transportation projects including bicycle, public transportation, rail, aviation and highways.

The $12.4-billion plan identifies 2,733 highway projects totaling approximately $9.4 billion. Included are 132 projects to improve interstates, 397 projects to improve urban highways, 444 projects to improve rural highways and 1,203 bridge replacements throughout the state.

The document reflects the department’s commitment to provide more transportation choices with 69 bicycle and pedestrian projects and 64 passenger rail projects and more than 950 public transportation projects across the state, totaling $3 billion.

The board also adopted resolutions naming:

• U.S. 17 Jacksonville Bypass from the Louis Sewell Bridge to NC 24 East for former President Ronald Reagan;

• U.S. 17 Bypass from the western city limits of Jacksonville to the Louis Sewell Bridge over Wilson Bay the KIA-MIA-POW Highway to honor service men and women Killed In Action (KIA), listed as Missing In Action (MIA) or Prisoners Of War (POW);

• Lenoir Southwest Loop from U.S. 321 to NC 18/U.S. 64 for former NC Board of Transportation member Sam Erby Jr., of Granite Falls; and

• NC 58 from Salter Path to Atlantic Beach in Carteret County for the late George W. Smith, who played an important role in the development of Bogue Banks in Carteret County.

The next meeting of the Board of Transportation will be Aug. 4.

Today's top stories

NAPA Urges Drivers to 'Watch For Us' During National Work Zone Awareness Week

VDOT Oversees $3.9B Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Project

Yanmar America Celebrates Global Customer Service Awards

New York City DOT Unveils Plans for Its Queensboro Bridge Pedestrian Upgrades

Terex Utilities Announces Availability of TL45 On Mini Tracked Carrier for Lifting in Restricted Access Job Sites

Ignite Attachments Disrupts Equipment Industry With Fit Finder

Two Single-Family Subdivisions to Be Built As Major New N.C. Triad Factories Are Developed

Caltrans, Crews Working to Repair Highway Landslides