Project Details

The population in North Carolina is growing and will continue grow in the foreseeable future. North Carolina became the 10th largest state by population in 2006, and is the 7th fastest growing state as well (U.S. Census, 2006). A result of the increasing population is the demand on the infrastructure, both in maintenance and in new construction. Part of the infrastructure included in this demand is the primary and secondary school systems. A preliminary report recapping a Facility Needs Survey of North Carolina schools issued in April of 2006 by the Public Schools of North Carolina reported the estimated cost for th​e next five years for public schools for construction and renovation to be $9.7 billion.

There is an increasing demand on the highway infrastructure as well because of the continued growth. Both schools and roads are adversely affected by the rising costs of materials. The increase in the cost of materials and the price of petroleum products is primarily due to increasing demand aroun​d the world, as well as the effects from some natural disasters.

The intersection of these two areas (schools and roads) occurs when new schools are built and roadway changes are needed to support the safe travel to school and safe travel to all other roadway users. The sources of funds to make improvements, to address safety issues, and to respond to citizen demands comes from a variety of sources, primarily NCDOT Contingency Funds, NCDOT Access Funds, local municipal jurisdictions, and county funds.