News

NCDOT sets input session for 10-year road plan

By Lightning Reports, Published: June 21, 2024

The N.C. Department of Transportation is inviting the public to provide feedback on the quantitative scores and preliminary local input points assignments for transportation projects for the upcoming 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program, which guides the scheduling of transportation projects across the state over a 10-year period.

After NCDOT releases the regional project scores later this summer, the agency will prioritize division-level projects. Once all project scores are finalized, the highest-scoring projects will be scheduled based on available funding, completion of environmental studies, engineering plans, corridor spending caps and federal and state funding restrictions. This information will be used to create the 2026-2035 STIP.

The public input opportunity for District 14, made up of Henderson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties, will be held 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, at Southwestern Community College, Burrell Building, College Drive, in Sylva. Participants can drop in anytime during these hours. There will not be a formal presentation. The sessions provide citizens an opportunity to view an interactive project map, review project information with transportation officials, and provide feedback.

If you are unable to attend a session in person, you can view and show support for projects and submit comments electronically via MetroQuest here. MetroQuest is an interactive public input tool that allows users to choose your priorities and express your concerns. All comments, no matter how they are submitted, carry the same weight. All information along with links to the MetroQuest site can be found at NCDOT: 2026-2035 STIP Development. Note: Due to the amount of data on the survey map, the survey can only be accessed​ on a desktop computer or tablet​.