Engineer outlines sidewalk, crossing projects on US 701 and nearby streets

Ken Clark, introduced as a district engineer from NCVOT, told the Whiteville City Council he plans a series of sidewalk extensions and crossing improvements along US 701 and adjacent streets.

"We want to extend the sidewalk down Williamson Street back to that where the high school's network is and also install a crosswalk," Clark said, describing a package of projects funded in part through a "vulnerable user" program. He said the work would include a fence down the median between Wives and Birkhead to discourage mid-block crossings, high-visibility crosswalk markings and rapid flashing beacons at key crossings.

Clark outlined specific connection priorities: extending existing segments on Washington Street to link with recent construction on JK Powell Boulevard, filling small missing sections on Lee Street and adding new sidewalk on Virgil Street to tie into the MLK corridor. He said some projects will require limited right-of-way acquisition and that the 701 widening later phases would accommodate additional connections.

Council members raised design and maintenance questions. Clark said Franklin Street has several broken or raised sidewalk sections that create barriers for wheeled mobility devices and proposed reworking corner drains and adding buffer parking to reduce conflicts. On timing and funding, Clark said the work will use federal vulnerable-user funding and local matches where required; he flagged storm-drain repairs and a slip-lining program scheduled for 2025.

The staff presentation did not include a formal council vote in the transcript excerpt; councilmembers asked staff to prepare a resolution and more detailed cost and right-of-way materials for future action.