SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT) - On Nov. 11, crews closed a portion of Long Beach Road as part of the NC 211 widening project. Some neighbors have expressed concerns about the traffic impacts.
With the number of people traveling through the Southport area consistently growing, crews are working to ensure roads are equipped for more visitors. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)’s NC 211 widening project seeks to avoid traffic headaches in the future.
According to NCDOT, the project will widen seven miles of NC 211 from NC 87 in Southport to NC 906, increasing roads to four lanes.
Joshua Pratt, an engineer for NCDOT says the project is 50% complete.
Portions of Long Beach Road in Southport are currently blocked off as work continues with the widening project. Crews are working to build a bridge that will take traffic from NC 133 over NC 211.
“To construct the bridge, first we will be raising the grade and we will have MSE walls which is a form of a retaining wall. There will be a wall right next to NC 211 that will go up to allow for the fill of the bridge there. Where NC 133 currently comes into 211 you will have MSE walls and a bridge to go over top of it,” said Pratt.
Traffic is being directed to Old Long Beach Road. The work is expected to take 11 months and the road will reopen in the fall of 2025.
On the first day of road closures drivers, neighbors and business owners expressed frustrations about traffic backups. Some neighbors even noted that cars resulted to running red lights after being fed up with long wait times.
NCDOT has worked to address the light concerns to help accommodate for the increase in traffic.
“We understand people’s frustrations,” said Pratts. He noted that construction work can cause longer commutes but they are asking drivers to be safe on the road.
Francesca Talbot, owner of Barn & Beach Designs on Old Long Beach Road, says construction in the area is nothing new.
“We’re kind of all in this together, you know, everybody in this area. We’ve had nothing but construction going on for years and years with 211 so it just kind of seems to be the new norm here in Brunswick County,” said Talbot.
Her business was hit during the unnamed storm that also delayed work for the NC 133 bridge. Talbot says so far the road work is slowing things down for her business, but hopes as time goes on people will adjust to the new traffic pattern.
“Hoping people will be patient with whatever the construction does or how it changes,” said Talbot. She also encouraged the community to practice kindness on the roads as they adjust to the new normal.
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