Another section of U.S. 70 in Craven County getting upgrade

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) - People heading to the Crystal Coast will have fewer stop lights and cross traffic as another section of U.S. 70 is getting upgraded to interstate standards.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says three Craven County intersections will be converted into interchanges at a cost of $242 million.

Those are Stately Pine Road, Fisher Avenue, and Camp Kiro Road. The project involves upgrading 6.4 miles of the highway between Thurman Road and the Havelock Bypass.

The U.S. 70 corridor will eventually become Interstate 42, from Raleigh to Morehead City.

“The is a vital highway for eastern North Carolina,” said Jeff Cabaniss, the Division 2 Engineer based in Kinston. “By upgrading it, we will be improving regional mobility and highway safety and providing new economic opportunities in this region of the state.”

Construction on the upgrade should begin early next year and take about four years to complete, according to the DOT.

Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. of Wilmington was awarded the contract last week.

Already contractors are working on upgrading 5.1 miles of U.S. 70 in James City, while the DOT is developing plans to upgrade 21 miles of the highway with a new Kinston Bypass in Lenoir and Jones counties.

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