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NCDOT briefs Rockingham commissioners on $2 million study to explore upgrading US‑220 to I‑73 standards
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Summary
NCDOT told the Rockingham County Board it has $2,000,000 for a preliminary engineering and environmental study to explore bringing US 220 up to interstate (I‑73) standards, including potential interchanges, service roads and utility relocations; the project remains unfunded and would proceed only after state scoring and Board of Transportation approval.
Jeremy Dunlap, a North Carolina Department of Transportation division project delivery engineer, told the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 16 that NCDOT has acquired $2,000,000 to fund a preliminary engineering (PE) study examining upgrades to bring US 220 to interstate standards from the I‑73 area near Newnham Road north to NC 135.
"We acquired $2,000,000 to do a PE study," Dunlap said, describing work that will initiate the environmental‑document process, lay out potential interchange footprints and identify where service roads and right‑of‑way acquisitions may be required. He said the study will include public outreach and is expected to take about three years.
Dunlap said bringing US 220 up to interstate standards requires "full control access," meaning "eliminating all driveways, at‑grade crossings, any kind of roadway connections" along the corridor. He described possible new interchanges at Simpson Road and Sardis Church Road and potential overpasses at Williams Road and Ellisborough Road, with service roads running east‑west to preserve access for existing businesses and residents.
The planner also signaled a near‑term project on NC 135: "This contract has been let. We're hoping to start sometime late spring and complete [by] November 2028," Dunlap said, adding that that work will bring the existing interchange closer to interstate standards to accommodate a future I‑73.
Board members pressed on timing and impacts. Dunlap said the PE study would produce environmental documents (wetlands, streams, historic sites) and a design footprint but that the larger upgrade is not yet funded. "The biggest thing is funding," he said, noting the project must score against other state projects and be approved by the Board of Transportation. He warned that utility relocations and property acquisitions would follow when the project is funded.
Commissioners and staff were advised to expect extended construction in the corridor if the project moves forward, and to watch NCDOT public‑outreach opportunities for chances to comment. Dunlap said that breaking the corridor into four smaller segments instead of larger ones should improve statewide scoring and funding prospects.
