By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
Despite the comments some county residents have made on social media and aloud about the length of time the Highway 69 construction is taking, the project is on schedule.
“Highway 69 is still on target for the September 15, 2023, deadline,” DOT engineer Andy Russell said this week. “All utilities in conflict up to US Highway 64, have been relocated and there shouldn’t be anything that we are aware of to slow progress. Our prime contractor, Wright Bros Construction Company of Charleston, Tennessee, continues to work very efficiently and aggressively on this project.”
In addition, the project’s projected budget of $46,327,228.88 is still on track, as well. There have been some unexpected construction hindrances, but so far, the total cost is remaining the same.
Russell, a District Engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, provided an update for work done since the Progress last reported in late 2020. At that time, trees, vegetation, and billboard removals had been completed for Highway 69.
Relocations of billboards were conducted outside of NCDOT Right of Way; therefore, those relocations were the responsibility of the billboard owners. Also, the contractor had begun roadway construction where minimal utility work was required. “Phases I, II, & IV are essentially 100 percent complete. Phase III is approximately 75 percent complete,” Russell explained in the 2020 update.
After the highway construction is completed, it will be a four-lane divided highway. ““It will be more modern highway than anything in the area,” Russell added.
Breaks in the median for drivers to cross the opposing lane of travel will be limited, for safety reasons. For drivers needing to go the opposite way, there will be several turnarounds, or as bulbouts, as Russell called them. During construction, access will continue to be provided to all businesses along the corridor.
The 3.9 mile long North Carolina Highway 69 links the north end of Georgia State Route 17/515 with U.S. 64 at the Clay County seat of Hayesville.
Other DOT projects for Clay County, including widening Highway 64 between Business 64 in Clay County to Highway 141 in Cherokee County, and improvements to Business Hwy 64 were postponed last year due to budget shortfalls. Many of the right-of-way acquisitions for Business 64 were made last year; therefore, that part of the project started prior to the DOT’s decreased income.