It may still be years away, but a long-awaited road work in Jones County finally gets the green light to move forward. Jared Brumbaugh has more.
The Department of Transportation will widen the stretch of existing highway between Pollocksville and Maysville. To ease traffic congestion in those two communities, a 225 million dollar bypass project will break ground in 2015 that reroutes motorists to the west of the existing road. Executive Director of the Highway 17 Association Marc Finlayson says the 12 to 14 mile bypass will bring short term and long term economic benefit to the region.
“That would include about 1,000 construction jobs a year during the build out period, let’s say 2018 to 2022. And then would create a recurring 2000+ jobs in the corridor thereafter.”
Upon completion of the bypass, Highway 17 from New Bern and the South Carolina state line will be 4-lanes. I’m Jared Brumbaugh.
