4/11/05

NCDOT To Delay I-540 Construction Despite Holly Springs Council Resolution
Town Officials Encourage Residents to Correspond with Elected Officials, NCDOT

Despite the Holly Springs Town Council unanimously adopting a resolution opposing delay in the construction of the I-540 Western Wake Expressway, the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recently released a spending plan that postpones construction on the portion of the expressway that connects with NC 55 near Holly Springs . Instead beginning in 2008, the NCDOT is calling for construction on the leg of I-540 that will connect NC 55 in Holly Springs with Interstate 40 to 2012.

The Holly Springs resolution, adopted at the April 5 Town Council meeting, is similar to resolutions adopted by neighboring communities and the Triangle J Council of Governments. The resolution e mphasized the importance of the proposed I-540 expressway as a vital commuter and regional transportation corridor that will “provide long-awaited relief for overcrowded local roads carrying regional traffic such as NC 55, Davis Drive, NC 751, SR 1010, and Old US I which cannot be remedied by simply expanding these existing facilities.”

In addition, the resolution stated that other important local road projects, namely NC 55 improvements, have not been constructed by the NCDOT due to the anticipation of the 2008 start of the expressway construction. Delays to I-540 construction “will present a severe and long-lasting blow to regional cooperation, trust and basic equity in the provision of transportation facilities,” the Holly Springs resolution stated.

As stated in the NCDOT's draft State Transportation Improvement Plan released April 6, the delay in construction of the expressway is needed “to assist in balancing funds.”

“We feel like we have done all we can do as a town to encourage the NCDOT not to delay construction on this important expressway segment,” said Holly Springs Town Manager Carl Dean. “We now are encouraging residents to correspond with their elected officials and with the NCDOT to reinforce our efforts to explain how vital a project this is and what an imperative need this project addresses.”

To correspond with Senator Richard Stevens, e-mail richards@ncleg.net, call (919) 733-5653 , or write to 515 Legislative Office Bldg., Raleigh 27603-5925.

To correspond with Representative Paul Stam, e-mail pauls@ncleg.net, call (919) 733-5780 , or write to 610 Legislative Office Bldg., Raleigh 27603-5925.

To correspond with NCDOT officials, go to www.ncdot.org/~tip and click on the “Public Comment Form” link. Holly Springs and Wake County are in Division 5. Or, write to NCDOT TIP Development Unit, 1534 Mail Service Center , Raleigh 27699-1534.

Click here to view the Holly Springs resolution emphasizing the importance of constructing I-540 on schedule.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us