health: Lincoln Tribune

السبت، 9 مايو 2015

Lincoln Tribune

NCDOT Urges Drivers to Plan for Fortify Impact on Summer Travel
This Week at NCDOT: Crews break ground for Raleigh rail station; trial runs part of ferry study
NCDOT helps break ground on Raleigh Union Station

NCDOT Urges Drivers to Plan for Fortify Impact on Summer Travel

Posted: 08 May 2015 07:56 AM PDT

Raleigh – The North Carolina Department of Transportation is urging drivers to think ahead as they begin making summer travel plans – especially if those plans have them heading near or through the Fortify I-40/I-440 work zone in Raleigh. In the coming weeks, crews are set to begin a new phase of the massive rebuild project that will shift lanes and eventually reduce to three lanes the entire 8.5-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from U.S. 1 in Cary to the I-40/440 split. Engineers expect the work will add an average of 30 minutes to drivers' travel time and possibly even longer during bad weather or when there is an accident. Construction for the entire Fortify project is expected to be complete by late 2016. Whether it's for work, a concert, sporting event, festival or a trip to the beach, NCDOT and the local tourism industry are urging travelers to "know before you go." "Raleigh is a great place to visit any time of the year, and we want to make sure people traveling here for business or vacation are aware of this project and of ways to minimize their travel impact," said Ryan Smith, director of communications for the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're continuing to partner with NCDOT to get the word out and have created our own visitor-friendly Fortify page at visitRaleigh.com." More than 100,000 vehicles travel through the zone daily, and NCDOT wants to reduce that number by at least 30,000. NCDOT has been working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Regional Transportation Alliance and GoTriangle, as well as others in the business community, to encourage drivers to use the Fortify project's website to find out about public transit options, change their work schedules or use alternate routes. "The closer we get to the Fortify lane shifts on I-40, the more we want to remind people that this will have an impact on travel through and near the work zone, and urge drivers to plan ahead," NCDOT Deputy Secretary of Communications Mike Charbonneau said. "We are continuously working to share information and resources with the community to help get people where they need to go while crews work to complete this vital safety project." Project update Westbound I-40 motorists who use the South Saunders Street/U.S. 70/401/N.C. 50 exit (No. 298) will see a major change in the exit traffic pattern beginning Friday night. So crews can safely do bridge and interchange work, the ramp for Exit 298-A will be closed for at least several months. All drivers on westbound I-40 who want to get on South Saunders Street, north or south, will have to use exit 298-B. At the bottom of the ramp, drivers will turn right or left at the traffic light. A similar ramp closure and traffic shift on I-40 East at South Saunders Street is expected to happen next weekend. Early next week, crews expect to finish resurfacing the westbound lanes of I-440. Once that is complete, they will switch over to do the same work on I-440 East. Later in the week, they plan to open the third lane of I-440 East, bringing the road to its final traffic pattern. All work is dependent upon the weather. For more information, on the Fortify I-40/440 Rebuild Project, visit www.fortifyNC.com or contact Mark Mueller at 919-707-2684 or mmueller2@ncdot.gov. ***NCDOT***

Click this image to view at original resolution

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

This Week at NCDOT: Crews break ground for Raleigh rail station; trial runs part of ferry study

Posted: 08 May 2015 07:50 AM PDT

Ground breaks for Raleigh Union Station, Passenger ferry trials take place, students learn about careers in transportation and NCDOT helps bring jobs to Harnett County RALEIGH — The following are highlights from the past week at the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Several of the below stories are also featured in our weekly newscast, NCDOT Now, which can be viewed by clicking here. Raleigh Union Station Groundbreaking On Friday, May 8, NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata and Governor Pat McCrory joined officials from the City of Raleigh and Amtrak, as well as local elected officials to break ground on the future Raleigh Union Station. The current Raleigh Amtrak Station, in downtown Raleigh, served 160,000 passengers in 2013, making it one of the busiest Amtrak stations in the Southeastern United States. It is often overcrowded and does not have an adequate platform to serve longer trains. The new, larger passenger rail station will better serve the current needs of passengers travelling into and out of Raleigh. Passenger Ferry Trials NCDOT's Ferry Division recently performed trial runs for a passenger-only ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. The 149-passenger Motor Vessel Provincetown III arrived on the Outer Banks May 1 for the trials. The ferry was open to the public for tours on May 4 and May 5.. These trial runs are part of a feasibility study looking at whether passenger ferry service is a viable supplement to car ferries on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. 2015 Career Exploration Day More than 100 students from the Wake County area recently participated in the 2015 Career Exploration Day on Tuesday, May 5, at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Students were able to participate in a career expo and truck fair, where they were able to learn first-hand about the various careers available at NCDOT. NCDOT engineers also shared with students their stories and experiences from working in the transportation industry. The 2015 Career Exploration Day is one of many events held by the NCDOT Office of Education Initiatives, which works with schools around the state to develop a talented workforce to meet North Carolina's future transportation needs. NCDOT Service Road Helps Bring Jobs to Harnett NCDOT recently partnered with the City of Dunn, Harnett County, North Carolina Department of Commerce and Rooms To Go on a project to help bring new jobs to Harnett County. When Rooms To Go first agreed to bring 220 jobs and a 1.2 million-square-foot facility to Dunn, a critical part of the plan was to construct a service road for trucks to use for access to I-95. This new route will provide trucks a safe and easy drive to and from I-95 to the Rooms To Go Distribution Center, and lets customers effortlessly access the Rooms To Go Showroom. For more information on NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. ***NCDOT***

Click this image to view at original resolution

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

NCDOT helps break ground on Raleigh Union Station

Posted: 08 May 2015 04:49 AM PDT

RALEIGH - N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata, Gov. Pat McCrory and Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane led a contingent of officials at a groundbreaking ceremony today for Raleigh Union Station, the new passenger rail station in downtown Raleigh. The ceremony was held at the former Dillon Supply Company Warehouse at 510 W. Martin Street in Downtown Raleigh. "Raleigh Union Station will allow us to better meet current and future rail needs and provide multimodal connectivity that is critical to the mobility and vitality of this region," Secretary Tata said. "Investing in rail improvements like this plays an important role in attracting new opportunities for our communities and ensuring our state's long-term success, and NCDOT remains committed to working with our partners to make this project a reality." Secretary Tata was joined at the event by Gov. McCrory, Mayor McFarlane, Congressman Price, and Carlos Monje, assistant secretary for transportation policy for the USDOT. "Our administration is committed to investing in infrastructure and transportation to help connect all regions of North Carolina with jobs and opportunity," said Governor McCrory. "Breaking ground on Raleigh's Union Station is one more example of how the state is working with cities and local communities to achieve this goal. This multi-modal transit station will create jobs and connect people throughout our state for generations to come." Raleigh Union Station is a joint initiative of NCDOT's Rail Division and the City of Raleigh, with assistance from Go Triangle. Scheduled to open in 2017, Raleigh Union Station is a part of the Piedmont Improvement Program, which is a series of improvements to the railroad corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte that will increase capacity, efficiency and safety. The new passenger rail station will replace the existing Amtrak Station on Cabarrus Street, which routinely experiences overcrowding and lacks the adequate platform size to serve longer trains. Raleigh Union Station has been contemplated in planning documents since the 1990s and is a significant component in the City's draft Downtown master plan. This project is anticipated to stimulate additional development in the city's warehouse district on the west end of Downtown. "The Union Station project stands to change the economic development potential of the Warehouse District; the station will replace what is currently an under-utilized collection of warehouses and vacant land with a new city landmark that will not only serve as a multi-modal transportation hub but also a civic space with potential for special events and expanded dining and entertainment options downtown" said Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane. On March 3, the Raleigh City Council authorized proceeding with a modified scope and funding package for Raleigh Union Station. The recommended plan meets the City's goals and maintains many of the elements included in the "full-build option" presented to the Council by City staff on January 20. The plan increases the funds available for contingencies, and retains the project's signature design elements, retail and civic spaces, and higher efficiency equipment. The total budget for the Raleigh Union Station project is $79.8 million, with an additional $1 million held in reserve. The City's total contribution to the project will be $18 million to $19 million. NCDOT has contributed $9 million in state matching funds, and facilitated the redirection of $15 million dollars in Federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds. The City of Raleigh is the recipient of two grants from the USDOT TIGER program (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) totaling $38 million.