DOT moves up U.S. 129 timetable

    Bellview – The U.S. 19/129 construction project has been moved up again after being moved back just three months ago.
    In August, N.C. Department of Transportation officials said right-of-way acquisition for affected homes and businesses on that road would not begin until at least summer 2020. However, a release on Oct. 15 indicated that negotiations for removal of those landowners, which originally were scheduled to take place last summer, will begin in December.
    David Uchiyama of the DOT said the funding availability through Build N.C. bonds has undergone changes, hence the fluctuating timeline. Construction is still set to begin in the 2022-23 fiscal year, where it had originally been set to start two years sooner.
    “Each of these projects will provide a safer and quicker transportation route for thousands of people who live, work and travel through our areas,” Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch said in a release. “These are an excellent uses of Build N.C. funds, and the results will benefit people on a daily basis.”
    The project was set at $30.2 million last year. It will flatten, straighten and increase the overall safety of U.S. 19/129 from U.S. 64/74 in Ranger to Union County, Ga.
    According to DOT-provided documents, U.S. 19/129 “is a two-lane road with substandard travel lane and shoulder widths,” including “limited sight distance along some sections of the roadway due to
sharp curves and steep grades.”
    Several homes and businesses are still in limbo as to whether they will be forced to relocate as part of the road renovation.