Thursday, March 28, 2024

Revised design for Hampstead Bypass to be presented Aug. 15

Blue and red lines show the proposed path of the Hampstead Bypass. Map courtesy NCDOT.
Blue and red lines show the proposed path of the Hampstead Bypass, which would extend from Military Cutoff Road at Market Street and reconnect with U.S. 17 north of N.C. 210. Map courtesy NCDOT.

The latest preliminary design for the planned U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass will be presented to the public in a meeting scheduled Thursday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Topsail High School.

Staff with the N.C. Department of Transportation will be on hand to respond to questions and receive comments from citizens, who are invited to stop by at their convenience, as no formal presentation is planned. The high school is located at 245 N. St. Johns Church Road in Hampstead.

According to a notice from the DOT, the revised plan is the result of options explored to provide access to existing U.S. 17 north of Topsail High School from the proposed bypass. Input received at the Aug. 15 meeting “will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops,” the release states.

Conceptually, the bypass would extend around the northwest side of U.S. 17, continuing off where Military Cutoff Road currently ends at Market Street and reconnecting with U.S. 17 north of its intersection with N.C. 210. The bypass would feature interchanges with the Interstate 140 Wilmington Bypass and N.C. 210, among other locations, according to a map on the project website.

A narrative on that site provides more detailed descriptions of the bypass path, as well as the history of the project and alternative routes considered.

“It should also be noted that in response to citizens’ concerns, NCDOT will continue to explore options for providing access to existing U.S. 17 north of Topsail High School from the proposed bypass,” the narrative states.

The release states a supplemental draft environmental impact statement will be completed this fall and placed on the project website for public review and input. Additional information is available by contacting Kim Gillespie at klgillespie@ncdot.gov or 919-707-6023, or consultant Liz Kovasckitz at lkovasckitz@mulkeyinc.com.

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