WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed a six-year highway bill that includes provisions previously introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) to amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and designate the following North Carolina highways as high priority corridors:
- Raleigh-Norfolk Corridor from Raleigh, North Carolina, through Rocky Mount, Williamston, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to Norfolk, Virginia.
- U.S. Route 117/Interstate Route 795 from U.S. Route 70 in Goldsboro to Interstate Route 40 west of Faison, and U.S. Route 70 from its intersection with Interstate Route 40 in Garner to the Port at Morehead City.
The designation of the highways would advance the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Strategic Transportation Corridors Vision, which aims to provide North Carolina with a network of high priority corridors that will become part of the Interstate system once they are fully built and upgraded to interstate standards.
“I am pleased that the Senate was able to pass a highway bill that would produce long-lasting benefits for North Carolina, including reduced traffic congestion, improved access to military bases, and increased investments in our state’s transportation and infrastructure,” said Senator Tillis. “I will continue to work across the aisle with my colleagues from North Carolina to ensure the Raleigh-Norfolk and US-70 corridors soon become part of the Interstate system.”
“The Senate-passed long term highway bill is a win for all North Carolinians,” said Senator Burr. “The highway bill includes important provisions that are vital to our state's infrastructure, benefiting everyone who uses our roads and highways, and encourages economic expansion by connecting some of the east coast’s largest ports to North Carolina’s cities and towns. I will continue to work with Senator Tillis and my North Carolina House colleagues to ensure that the priorities important to North Carolina remain in the final version of the highway bill.”
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