DOT to revisit 2019 turning-lane plan for new Anson County middle school, official says

The board received an update on traffic and access considerations for the new Anson County middle school, including a DOT review of a 2019 plan that recommended turning lanes into the school and at the intersection of Highway 74 and Anson High Road.

Mr. Ross told the board he had discussed the issue with N.C. Department of Transportation staff, including engineer Mr. Epperson. Ross said DOT’s 2019 plan included turning lanes into the new middle school and additional turning lanes at the Highway 74/Anson High Road intersection; however, a 2024 analysis that recommended a staggered school start had since superseded that earlier work. Ross said DOT agreed to revisit the 2019 plan to see whether its recommendations remain appropriate in light of the newer analysis, but that any work will be constrained by timing, available resources and funding.

Ross also noted some confusion between the grant that covers the access road (as referenced by the superintendent) and the state roads where turning lanes would be placed, and said clarity on responsibilities and funding will be needed. He said the new middle school is expected to open in just over a year and that DOT and county staff planned additional meetings in the next week or two to discuss options and next steps. The board was told a fuller update on the middle-school project should be available by the May 19 meeting.

No board action or vote on the traffic recommendations was recorded; staff said further meetings would determine the preferred approach and any funding pathway.