The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that another major road project is being planned for Raeford Road.
A raised median will be installed to improve safety along two miles of Raeford Road between east of Bunce Road and Buckhead Creek, which is east of Brighton Road. Drivers from side roads without traffic signals will be redirected into turning right. This design, known as a reduced conflict intersection, was shown to reduce serious crashes by 80% in a study by NCDOT in 2023, the agency said.
Work is expected to begin later this spring, NCDOT said, with the goal of completing it by fall of 2028.
NCDOT described the project as a “major facelift to one of the city’s most-traveled roads” that will transform Raeford Road to look and function similarly to Skibo Road.
In addition to a raised median, the project will include:
- Replacing concrete curbs and gutters and drainage structures.
- Relocating water and sewer lines from out of the roadway.
- Constructing sidewalks on both sides and installing pedestrian signals at existing traffic signals.
- Widening some of the roadway and its intersections.
The contractor, Branch Civil Inc. of Roanoke, Virginia, was awarded a $48 million contract last week. When work begins on the project, Branch Civil will be required to maintain traffic on at least four of the six lanes during the daytime, but drivers could encounter more lane closures overnight, NCDOT said.
This work is an extension of the first segment of Raeford Road, from Old Raeford to Bunce roads, that began construction in 2022 and is expected to be completed this fall. The last section near the All American Freeway and the Harris Teeter is likely to start construction following the completion of this latest contract, NCDOT said.
The project’s announcement comes a few weeks after NCDOT announced a portion of Raeford Road near Highland Country Club will be closed for eight months for a culvert installation on Branson Creek. Work on that project is expected to begin on April 14.
