The North Carolina Department of Transportation is expecting the state to continue to grow in the coming years. But the disparity in where that growth might occur is dramatic.
NCDOT Secretary Jim Trogdon gave a presentation to the General Assembly Monday projecting North Carolina's possible population growth trends through 2035.
A staggering two-thirds of new residents are expected to land in the Triangle or Charlotte. And if the projection is right, the Triad would take in just 10 percent.
North Carolina has been on a tear when it comes to population growth, adding nearly a million people in the last decade. The current population is north of ten million residents.
Trogdon's projections raise significant questions as to how the state will handle the influx of people, particularly when it comes to government services like education, infrastructure and the social safety net.
His presentation also suggests several funding mechanisms will be needed to continue to meet current and future transportation needs, and that NCDOT will support the highest priority projects in both urban and rural areas.