Motorists traveling along U.S. Highway 70 in the James City corridor over the weekend should expect a temporary traffic pattern as work begins on the Thurman Road interchange bridge.

State transportation officials said Wednesday that, weather permitting, U.S. 70 westbound lane closures are scheduled from 5 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday. U.S. 70 eastbound lane closures will then take place from 5 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday.  

As part of this phase, crews are to install reduced conflict intersections, or RCIs, with temporary traffic signals near the intersection of Thurman Road and U.S. 70 to manage traffic flow. This is the third of five planned along the U.S. 70 Improvements in the James City corridor.

RCIs, often referred to as a superstreet, a synchronized street or a median U-turn, describes the different designs that can be installed to improve safety and traffic flow on a highway, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

In advance of implementing the RCIs, sections of East Thurman Road and West Thurman Road will be closed between U.S. 70 and service roads from 5 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday.

“Intersections along U.S. 70 in James City are being converted to interchanges without traffic signals, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times. The Thurman Road interchange will allow for fluid cross street traffic under the highway, with roundabouts on both sides to manage the flow of traffic. Bridge construction marks the final stage of construction before the interchange is complete,” officials said.

The estimated $3.22 million James City corridor project began in 2022 to improve traffic on the 5.1-mile stretch of U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to the Neuse River Bridge in James City. 

Project plans include updating Williams, Airport, Grantham and Thurman roads and Taberna Way in James City into interchanges by taking U.S. 70 over these cross streets and providing access via ramps. These five intersections will become new highway exits for the future Interstate 42.​ The project is expected to be complete in 2027.

Travelers are encouraged to sign up for project updates and traffic alerts by providing an email address or cell phone number on the project website.

The project team is available to answer any questions by email at US70-JamesCity@publicinput.com, or by calling 1-855-925-2801 and enter code 7872 when prompted.

Travelers using U.S. Highway 70 to cross the Trent River should expect nightly closures through the next six weeks while North Carolina Department of Transportation crews replace bridge joints.

Work began Sunday on U.S. 70 East near mile marker 417 and will continue for about three weeks from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Friday. After the eastbound lanes are complete, crews are expected to begin March 29 maintenance work on U.S. 70 West, also near mile marker 417.

Work on each section of the bridge is expected to take about three weeks on each side of the highway, with the road fully reopened by late April, transportation officials said. This work is weather-dependent and could be rescheduled.  

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

A temporary traffic pattern is going to be put in place over the weekend for a section of U.S. Highway 70 in James City ahead of road work that will close the highway’s median to travelers.

Intersections along U.S. 70 in the city bordering New Bern are being converted to interchanges without traffic signals to improve traffic flow and reduce travel times. Constructing the bridge that crosses the highway is the final stage before the interchange is complete and is set to begin for the first of five, North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said Wednesday.

Travelers starting at 7 p.m. Friday can expect a series of U.S. 70 lane closures to shift both eastbound and westbound traffic near Grantham Road to newly widened portions of the highway and interchange ramps.

Officials expect the temporary traffic pattern to be fully implemented by 6 a.m. Monday and will remain in place during bridge construction. In the event of weather delays, all work will take place the following week.

While the new traffic pattern is being set up this weekend, Grantham Road on both sides of U.S. 70 will be closed between the highway and roundabouts. During this time there will be signed detour routes to access Grantham Road.

Reduced conflict intersections with temporary traffic signals are to be installed near the Grantham Road intersection with U.S. 70 to facilitate traffic flow. These intersections will allow drivers to make U-turns on the highway and access side streets while the median crossover at Grantham Road is closed during bridge construction, officials said.

The project team is available to answer questions. Send an email to US70-JamesCity@publicinput.com or call 855-925-2801 and enter code 7872 when prompted. The public may also visit the new site office at 118B Market St., New Bern.

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials advise travelers heading to Bogue Banks via the Emerald Isle Bridge or U.S. 70 through Morehead City to expect delays, drive slowly and stay alert while navigating these work zones.

As the contractor working on the N.C. 58 bridge in eastern Carteret County nears completion on the part preservation project that requires lane closures by March 31, weather permitting, motorists may encounter interruptions at any time during the week or weekend except between 6-9 a.m. and from 3-6 p.m. weekdays.

NCDOT also has a major resurfacing project expected to begin Monday on a 1.5-mile segment of U.S. 70 in both directions between McCabe Road and Harris Road.

A state highway contractor will mill away the top layer and place new asphalt and permanent lane markings on all lanes of the highway.

The work will necessitate lane closures weekdays, but only one lane at a time. The contractor will work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with some occasional weekends.

The contractor is expected to complete this work before the start of the Memorial Day holiday.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

BEAUFORT — Those traveling from Beaufort to Down East Carteret County on U.S. 70 later this month should expect a detour while a section of the highway north of North Harbor Drive is closed while drainage system improvements take place.

The work set for Aug. 15-18 was initially planned for Aug. 8-11, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that there would be a week delay.

While old pipe is replaced with a larger pipe to increase the flow of water below the roadbed, motorists approaching from Morehead City/Beaufort area should take N.C. 101 north to Laurel Road. Then turn right and continue to the stop sign at Merrimon Road and turn right again. From there, continue to the intersection of U.S. 70 and turn left onto U.S. 70 to continue to your destination. 

Travelers passing through Craven County to the Cedar Island ferry terminal or any other point Down East can pick up N.C. 101 where it intersects with N.C. 70, near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and follow signs to U.S. 70.

NEW BERN – U.S. 70 between Raleigh and the coast has a couple of long stretches with limited opportunities for motorists to fill up the tank but not so limited as to cause much worry. For folks who drive electric vehicles, however, there are far fewer places along the route to plug in and recharge.

The distances between charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles in the eastern part of the state are enough to cause what some call “range anxiety” – fears that the vehicle’s charge is insufficient to reach the driver’s destination. Because nobody likes getting stranded, range anxiety is considered a big barrier to wide-scale adoption of zero-emission, all-electric vehicles.

Despite this, sales of all-electric cars are growing in the state, especially in urban areas and among young, affluent buyers – the kinds of people merchants, hoteliers and tourism officials seek to lure to vacation destinations on the N.C. coast.

Judy Hills, executive director at the East Carolina Council of Governments in New Bern, says she’d like to see counties and municipalities in Eastern North Carolina become more competitive with other parts of the state in offering services for drivers of electric vehicles.

“If we want to attract the touring public who drives these cars, it’s something to think about,” Hills told a group Feb. 5 at the council’s offices in downtown New Bern.

The meeting was the first in a series of 11 planned sessions on electric cars. A handful of town and county planning and economic-development officials attended. The council sent invitations to many more, including tourism, military and transportation officials and chambers of commerce across the region.

The East Carolina Council is one of a number of regional groups in North Carolina working to create a plan for electric cars. It’s a collaboration with the N.C. Plug-in Electric Vehicle Taskforce, which has been working since 2011 to establish the state as a leader in electric transportation. The taskforce includes various industry, utility, nonprofit and other entities led by consulting firm Advanced Energy Corp. and the N.C. Commerce Department, providing research and support to local groups.

Hills said the state’s vehicle traffic is predicted to increase by 25 percent by 2030. A shift toward zero-emission electric vehicles can have significant health, environmental and economic benefits, she said, adding that Eastern North Carolina could suffer economic consequences if the region fails to provide services for such vehicles.

The council has funding from the federal Economic Development Administration to create a plan to accommodate electrics along the U.S. 70 corridor in this region. Having a plan in place could help position the region for grant opportunities to help pay for new charging stations along the route.

Hills cited research from the Electric Power Research Institute that there will be more than 700,000 electric vehicles on N.C. roads by 2030, including 37,000 in the eastern part of the state.

More than 3,300 electric cars were registered in North Carolina in 2014, the most recent figures available. Fewer than 50 were registered in Carteret, Craven, Jones, Lenoir and Wayne counties as of January 2015, according to information presented at the stakeholder meeting.

An Economic Boost

Michael Gunhus, owner and innkeeper at The Aerie Bed and Breakfast Guest House and Conference Center in downtown New Bern, installed a charging station for electric vehicles at the inn about a year ago. The idea was to provide an additional service for his guests but the amenity, which shows up in the navigation systems of electric vehicles, has also helped draw new visitors to the inn.

“It’s proven very successful for us,” Gunhus said.

Charging is free for guests of the inn but others can also take advantage of the service without staying the night. Visitors to the historic downtown area sometimes choose to get out and walk to the nearby shops and restaurants while their electric cars’ batteries recharge back at the inn. The inn charges a small fee for non-guests.

Gunhus doesn’t have a big investment to recoup. Select Registry, an innkeepers’ association of which Gunhus is a member, covered the installation cost, which totaled about $1,400. It was part of promotional deal the association had with Tesla Motors, a maker of high-end electric vehicles.

“They put it out to us and we said ‘sure.’ We were one of the first to sign on,” Gunhus said. “It’s very important that owners of Teslas know where they can go to charge.”

Tesla uses a unique connector that isn’t compatible with other makes. The B&B also has a second charging unit manufactured by ClipperCreek that can accommodate other electric cars.

“We can charge any vehicle and we knew we could increase our traffic by having this option. We are very pleased with it,” Gunhus said.

Vehicle Options

Car manufacturers are heavily invested in electric vehicle technology. There are about 30 different models on the market.

Nissan representatives were on hand at the meeting and offered test drives of their company’s flagship all-electric, the LEAF.

The Nissan LEAF is one of the more popular of the breeds, with sales that outpace about a dozen standard internal combustion engine-equipped cars, especially in certain markets including Atlanta, Ga., where tax incentives for buyers are better than in North Carolina. Nissan says it’s the best-selling electric vehicle in automotive history with global sales of more than 190,000 and more than 80,000 on U.S. roads. The 2016 model is powered by a 30-kilowatt-hour battery and has a range of 107 miles, according to its Environmental Protection Agency rating.

The LEAF can accommodate three types of chargers, which vary in terms of recharge speed.

An alternating-current, or AC, level 1 charger works on a standard 120-volt circuit and adds about five miles of range per hour of charging. An AC level 2 charger works on a 240-volt circuit such as the type used for home clothes dryers. This type charger adds about 20-40 miles of ranger per hour of charging. A direct-current, fast charging system requires a 480-volt AC circuit and provides up to 50 miles of range in about 10 minutes.

Tesla’s pricier Model S offers a mileage range of 270 miles, according to the EPA rating.

The Tesla Supercharger is touted as the world’s fastest charging station, providing a 170-mile charge in about 30 minutes.

Plenty of other options are available to car buyers. See the EPA’s website below for comparison information on all-electric vehicles.

Road Readiness

Making the U.S. 70 corridor more accommodating for electric vehicles could include working with hotel chains and state agencies, such as museums, aquariums and history centers, to install charging stations, Hills said.

North Carolina ranks 14^th in the number of public charging sites. There are more than 600 charging stations across the state, mostly concentrated in the Triangle, the Charlotte area and in Asheville. These areas are also have the highest levels of electric car ownership in the state.

Public charging stations can also be found on the N.C. coast at the Boathouse at Front Street Village in Beaufort; the Hampton Inn and Edenton Harbor in Edenton; the Courtyard Marriot in Jacksonville; the Villages at Brunswick Forest in Leland; the Inn on Pamlico Sound in Buxton; and various other locations in Wilmington and along the Outer Banks, particularly north of Nags Head.

The availability of charging stations is key to the public’s adoption of electric vehicles, said Marcy Bauer, market manager for the Carolinas and Southern Virginia for NRG EVgo, a clean energy resources and technology firm with headquarters in Houston, Texas.

The company has partnered with Nissan, BMW and a few other electric vehicle manufacturers, said EVgo spokesman Jeremy Desel in a telephone interview. The company provides purchasers of certain electric cars free charging on its nationwide network of charging stations.

“Nissan was our first imbedded deal like that and it’s now blossomed into more than just Nissan,” Desel said.

The company’s chargers will work with a variety of autos, which use various charging standards, including the two different rapid-charging, direct-current types. Japanese and Korean manufacturers have one type while the latest European and American vehicles use another standard. Tesla uses yet another standard that is compatible with a special adapter.

Desel compared NRG’s chargers to pumps that offer both gas and diesel fuel.

“Our chargers are able to charge every electric vehicle on the road today,” Desel said. “We have the largest DC fast-charging network in the country.”

Pulling the Plug

Some say N.C. lawmakers have worked to pull the plug on electric vehicle sales. A state law that took effect in 2013 resulted in the removal of charging stations from N.C. Department of Transportation rest areas in Johnston and Alamance counties. The charging stations were installed in 2012 as part of a grant-funded pilot program and were free to use. The law directed the department to charge a fee for use but that directive conflicted with a federal law that said states may only collect money at rest areas along U.S. highways when it comes from vending machines.

North Carolina began in 2014 collecting an additional $100 fee from electric car owners. The extra fee was supposed to help offset the anticipated loss of revenue from the state’s gas tax, which goes to fund highway construction.

Learn More

• East Carolina Council’s Planning
• Where to Find Charging Stations
• NCPEV Task Force
• EPA’s Comparison Information for All-Electric Vehicles