On August 11th, I was able to be in attendance along with federal, state and local officials as we celebrated the opening of the next phase of the Fayetteville Outer Loop (I-295), which completes a direct interstate connection between I-95 and Fort Bragg and connects Ramsey Street to Bragg Boulevard.
“Tremendous teamwork has gone into making this $146 million portion of I-295 a reality, including strong partnerships with federal lawmakers, local officials and Fort Bragg,” Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said. “We all recognize the need to continue investing in infrastructure that strengthens our ability to seamlessly move people and freight. This is one of the many sections of the Fayetteville Outer Loop we are completing to meet growing transportation, military and logistics demands.”
The state transportation department allotted the sum of $85.2 million to continue the loop from south of Cliffdale Road to south of U.S. 401.The contract for the loop was design-build, which allows for all aspects of the project to be completed under one single contract. Construction on this section is expected to begin as early as July 2017, with completion scheduled for May 2021.
“This stretch of I-295 plays a critical role not only in regional mobility, economic development and freight movement, but also in strengthening the military connections that are needed to support deployment and national security efforts,” Governor McCrory said. “The Fayetteville Outer Loop, and in particular this section, will offer unprecedented connectivity and opportunity for eastern North Carolina.”