Currituck Sound Area Transportation

Currituck Collaborative Alternatives Development Process
Kitty Hawk, NC
June 2, 2005
11AM -1PM
Meeting Agenda
1. Introductions
2. Establishing Ground-Rules for the Meeting
3. Purpose of the Collaborative Process
4. Status of the Currituck Study
5. Perspectives on the Collaborative Process
6. Lunch Break
7. Moving Forward with the Collaborative Process
8. Adjourn
Currituck Sound Area Transportation Study
Alternatives Evaluation
Objective: Select alternatives to evaluate in detail in the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).
2. Purpose: To develop a set of alternatives that address the project's purpose and need and
that consider stakeholder goals, environmental regulatory requirements, and environmental
impact potential. The purpose and need can be summarized as follows:
a. To improve traffic flow on the project area's thoroughfares during the summer weekday
peak travel periods.
b. To reduce travel time for persons traveling between the Currituck County mainland and
the Currituck County Outer Banks.
c. To facilitate coastal evacuation of the northern Outer Banks (provided this need is
supported by empirical data).
3. Findings to Date:
a. Key observations related to summer weekday traffic flow are:
• In Currituck County, US 158 traffic would not be congested on summer weekdays in
2025.
• On the Outer Banks, travel demand associated with anticipated development levels
exceeds the capacity of the existing road system.
• If a Mid-Currituck Sound Bridge were the only improvement made to the Currituck
Sound area road system, travel demand would drop on parts of NC 12 and US 158,
but summer congestion would remain.
• Widening NC 12 to four lanes from Southern Shores to Corolla, widening US 158
east of the Wright Memorial Bridge to six lanes, and building an interchange at the
intersection of NC 12 and US 158 would resolve most summer congestion problems
in 2025 with or without a Mid-Currituck Sound Bridge.
b. Substantial costs and community impacts would be associated with widening NC 12 to
four lanes.
c. A variety of improvement alternatives should be examined along NC 12, including no
improvements, spot improvements, four lanes, and a mixture of improvements that
address congestion while minimizing impacts.
4. Focus: Mid-Currituck Sound Bridge alternatives; NC 12 improvement alternatives; US 158
(between the Wright Memorial Bridge and the NC 12 intersection with US 158).
June 2, 2005
5. Process:
a. Identification of potential typical roadway cross sections (minimum and preferred).
b. Identification of improvement opportunities at intersections.
c. Field review of typical sections and potential intersection improvements in relation to the
surrounding setting.
d. Testing of alternative configurations for impact potential.
e. Identification of potential alternatives.
f. Evaluation of potential alternatives from the perspectives of construction and right-of-
way cost, traffic service, and potential community, cultural resource, and natural resource
impacts.
g. Citizens Informational Workshops/Public Officials Meeting.
h. Merger Team (Federal Highway Administration, NCDOT, and environmental resource
and regulatory agency representatives) meeting to obtain concurrence on alternatives to
evaluate in detail in the DEIS.
6. Schedule:
July 2005 Hurricane Evacuation Study
March 2006 Alternatives for Detailed Study - Concurrence Point 2
January 2007 Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS)
July 2007 Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) -
Concurrence Point 3
May 2008 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
September 2008 Record of Decision (ROD)
February 2009 Right-of-Way
November 2010 Construction
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June 2, 2005