A new report says North Carolina's population growth is taking a toll on the state's roads. Researchers say modernizing the state's transportation system will take a lot more money.
North Carolina has the ninth fastest rate of travel growth in the country, a positive sign that reflects more economic development. That's according to a report from TRIP, a nonprofit transportation research organization based in Washington D.C.
The group says the state faces funding challenges for repairs and maintenance for the state's highways, roads and bridges now and to accommodate future growth.
They say state officials have identified $52 billion in needed highway projects across the state over the next ten years, but they only have funding available for about $9 billion.
Rocky Moretti with the group says the report focuses on five areas, including the Triad.
“In the Triad area, 11 percent of the region's bridges, which is 198 bridges, are rated structurally deficient, so they need major repairs,” says Moretti.
He says the region also suffered 138 traffic fatalities on average over the last three years.
“And our research indicates in about a third of fatal traffic crashes the lack of adequate roadway safety features were a contributing factor,” he says. “We don't suggest they caused those crashes, but the lack of those features may have caused the crash to be more catastrophic than it could have been, so there's a lot of work to be done.”
Moretti says the increase in traffic also means a longer commute times. He says in the Triad, the average driver loses 25 hours annually as a result of congestion.
*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter@kerib_news