The North Carolina Department of Transportation is looking for input on a connected route that would link several centers of economic interest in and around Fayetteville and Cumberland County along a route that includes Interstate-685. The route is dubbed Corridor K, and is part of the Carolina Core brand.

NCDOT’s survey, seeking input from residents, businesses and other stakeholders like Fort Bragg, will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 2, and is focused on Phase 1 of Corridor K specifically.

Corridor K is described in the North Carolina Transportation Network and Strategic Transportation Corridors (STC) framework as an important regional connector serving the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions. 

Phase 1 encompasses the northernmost area of Corridor K, following U.S. Route 421, N.C. Route 87 and N.C. 24 between Greensboro and Interstate 95 in Fayetteville, a distance of 109 miles.

Corridor K as a whole runs from Interstate-40 in Guilford County through Sanford in Lee County to U.S. Highway 117 in Wilmington and New Hanover County, linking the manufacturing centers of the Piedmont Triad region to export opportunities at the port in Wilmington. 

The corridor also provides a crucial link between Fort Bragg and the port at Wilmington and the Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal. 

As part of the study, alternatives will be developed and analyzed for the portion of the corridor that connects N.C. State Route 87 in Sanford south to I-95 in either Cumberland or Harnett counties. 

The intent of the Corridor K master plan is to develop a consistent transportation vision and performance measures for the corridor and to determine the location of the corridor from Sanford to I-95, based on stakeholder input and sound technical assessment that will serve to streamline subsequent project development processes.

THROUGH THE SURVEY, RESIDENTS CAN ORDER PROJECT OBJECTIVES BY MAGNITUDE OF PRIORITY FROM ONE TO 10. THESE OPTIONS INCLUDE:

• Improve safety for all users.
• Promote a direct interstate connection between Greensboro and I-95.
• Provide a new bypass around Spring Lake to reduce congestion near Ft. Bragg.
• Improve corridor efficiency and reduce congestion for all users.
• Promote regional connectivity between Greensboro, Fayetteville and Wilmington.
• Improve air quality by minimizing vehicle-miles traveled and vehicle emissions.
• Enhance direct access for the military and base staff at Ft. Bragg.
• Provide a direct connection to megasites and major activity centers and destinations.
• Enhance development opportunities and quality of life for residents, workers and visitors by improving roadway access to areas along the corridor.
• Enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity across the corridor and to regional trails.

“Our hope is that as many people as possible will weigh in, sharing their top priorities and concerns for this corridor,” said Robert Van Geons, the president and CEO, of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation.

Van Geons said Corridor K presents a unique opportunity for the area. Nearby stakeholders will have tangible input on matters like accessibility to Ft. Bragg, public safety and natural disaster resiliency. 

“We believe that this project would substantially benefit our community in many ways,” Van Geons noted. “Participation will ensure your priorities are considered as part of the planning process.”

Corridor K, ultimately, would bring the area expedited connectivity to the Carolina Core, the brand name for a network of megasites across the state. 

Loren Hill, the Carolina Core regional economic development director for the Piedmont Triad Partnership, said the Carolina Core was developed because of the state’s strategically-located megasites. 

THESE ARE THE FOLLOWING MEGASITES: 

• Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County.
• Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site in Chatham County.
• The Piedmont Triad International Airport in Guilford County.
• The Greensboro-Randolph Mega Site, which is in Randolph County.

“Each of those four megasites has landed one or more transformative projects,” Hill said. “No other place in the country has that many mega sites so close by where transformative projects can come.” 

The biggest is the Toyota Battery Plant near Liberty in Randolph County, southeast of Greensboro, which accounts for 5,100 jobs and $13.9 billion in capital investment. 

“That's the largest capital investment ever in North Carolina,” Hill said.

The second largest capital investment ever in North Carolina, he noted, was announced by Wolfspeed, a semi-conductor manufacturing site. The third is also one of the megasites, VinFast, an electric car manufacturer in Chatham County. 

“That also had the largest job announcement ever in North Carolina, 7500 jobs,” Hill said.

On the tangible benefits of Corridor K, Van Geons said: “Adding to our workforce, megasite and industrial capacity would help attract companies, suppliers and economic growth for our entire region.” 

The survey can be taken online at www.publicinput.com/j55476.