NCDOT’s 10-year plan opens amid US-1 frustrations

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has launched a statewide public comment period to help shape its next infrastructure plan for 2028-2037. Amid growing concern over congestion on US Route 1 (Capital Boulevard) and other infrastructure issues, officials are encouraging North Carolinians to weigh in on transportation priorities.

How residents can participate

Now through Friday, Aug. 29, residents can offer suggestions via:

• A brief online survey on NCDOT’s website
• Weeklong drop-in sessions at NCDOT offices throughout the state

Eligible suggestions span all six transportation modes — highways, rail, transit, ferries, aviation, bicycle/pedestrian facilities — but exclude routine maintenance projects (like pothole repair or resurfacing), which are handled separately.

A growing region, a stalled corridor

The Triangle’s rapid growth — particularly in Wake Forest and Franklin County — highlights a need to upgrade a 10-mile stretch of US-1 from I-540 in North Raleigh to Purnell/Harris Road. In May, Raleigh city-council members endorsed a project that would turn that stretch of Capital Boulevard into a toll road.

Originally budgeted at $93 million and scheduled to begin construction in 2018, the project now carries an estimated $1.34 billion price tag and has been delayed multiple times.

Despite decades of planning, traffic volume has soared and costs have ballooned. Segments A through D of the corridor have been postponed repeatedly, making the upgrade one of the region’s most delayed infrastructure projects.

Public opposition to tolling has also been strong. Nearly 58% of surveyed residents opposed using tolls to speed up the project, while only 16% expressed support. Following this, legislation led by Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, effectively blocked toll-based financing.

How this fits into the STIP process

Public input collected now will feed directly into the project prioritization process under the Strategic Investments Law. That formula balances data-driven scoring with community input to guide which projects are selected for funding across the six transportation modes.

In addition to public suggestions, NCDOT will consider input from local planning organizations and state staff. Submitted projects will undergo a three-tiered prioritization process:

• Statewide Mobility Projects (40% revenue distribution)
• Regional Impact Projects (30% revenue distribution)
• Division Needs Projects (30% revenue distribution)

Statewide mobility projects are evaluated first and are 100% based on data, with scoring results expected by spring 2026.

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