Butterfield, Jones Call on DOT to Designate U.S. Highway 264 as a Future Interstate | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, DC     Last week, Congressmen G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Walter Jones (NC-03) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx calling for the agency to approve North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) request to designate portions of U.S. Highway 264 as a Future Interstate Highway.

    The request made by NCDOT on September 7, 2016 closely follows the Eastern North Carolina Gateway Act of 2016, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Butterfield and Jones as H.R. 6105, and in the Senate by Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis as S. 3378.

    "Approving portions of U.S. Highway 264 as a Future Interstate would be an important step in my long-term vision for better connecting Eastern North Carolina with the entire Eastern Seaboard," said Butterfield. "Eastern North Carolinians deserve modern transportation infrastructure that meet their needs and the potential benefits of this Future Interstate, if approved, are enormous. With recent and projected growth in the region, it is my hope that NCDOT's request is approved quickly so that residents and businesses can become better connected to other key areas throughout North Carolina and neighboring states."

    "Connecting Eastern North Carolina to neighboring states and regions will play a crucial role in the sustainable long-term growth of the area," said Jones. "As a booming center of innovation across a wide range of industries, it is vital that the greater Greenville area has access to high-quality infrastructure and transportation. Approval of this request will benefit Eastern North Carolinians for decades to come."

    Butterfield and Jones request that Secretary Foxx approves NCDOT's application and signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the State to ensure Eastern North Carolina's highway infrastructure remains a priority in the state.

    The full text of the letter to Secretary Foxx can be viewed here.

Background:

    Greenville is the 10th largest city in North Carolina, and the largest city in North Carolina without an interstate highway. The approval of NCDOT's application would designate the U.S. Highway 264/64 split from Zebulon to Greenville as a High Priority Corridor and Future Interstate. Many portions of U.S. Highway 264 are already built to interstate standards. NCDOT has committed to completing the Future Interstate within 25 years.

• Contact: Allison Tucker
•     allison.tucker@mail.house.gov