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When Gov. Perdue participated in the groundbreaking for the Interstate 85 Corridor Improvement Project (including reconstruction of the Yadkin River Bridge), she reminded us that the bridge serves as a critical route between Atlanta and Richmond as it carries more than 60,000 cars and trucks each day.

I crossed that bridge this week and was amazed with the progress that our Department of Transportation is making to advance this much-needed effort. The work that is visibly underway near the Yadkin River is a clear reminder of the commitment by the Governor and the N.C. Department of Transportation to proactively address the major transportation needs of our State through innovation, partnerships and a business-like approach to addressing priorities and integrating different modes of transportation.

The Corridor Improvement Project is a great example of this approach. Phase II of the Project (widening and other improvements to Interstate 85) is to be funded entirely by the N.C. Mobility Fund, which was approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor this past June. The N.C. Mobility Fund also created new revenue sources to address critical transportation projects on a Statewide or regional basis. Contracts for Phase II should be let in 2011, and will be executed as design-build arrangements.

Phase I has already begun, and will include both the replacement of eight bridges and Interstate interchange reconstructions. Final completion of this phase is currently expected in January, 2013,  about eight months earlier than estimated by NCDOT.

Innovative techniques to be used by the contractor in this Phase include using each completed section of the U.S. 29/70 bridge as the work platform for the next section, thereby eliminating the need for a temporary work bridge; and, constructing a single temporary work bridge instead of two separate work bridges when replacing the I-85 bridge, which will accelerate the work schedule and be more accommodating to the environment.

The I-85 Corridor Improvement Project/Yadkin River Bridge replacement is an outstanding example of how Gov. Perdue is improving government efficiency and performance and bringing new ideas and approaches to addressing the critical transportation needs of our State.

There are too many stories of teen drivers becoming distracted and getting into serious accidents. Sadly, some never get the chance to learn from their mistakes.

This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week. We’re urging young drivers to pay attention when they get behind the wheel.

The N.C. Department of Transportation has made several videos that focus on the dangers teens face on the road. Those videos are available at ncdot.org and on the department’s YouTube page.

One video features Amos Johnson, a father whose 16-year-old daughter Ashley died in a car crash in May. Authorities determined that Ashley was receiving a text message that distracted her while she was driving.

Distracted driving among teenagers is a major concern. In 2009, 126 teens lost their lives in traffic crashes. Eight of those fatalities were caused by a distraction. More than 8,000 wrecks involving teens were the result of distracted driving.

We hope you take the time to watch Mr. Johnson’s video and remember that driving is a privilege, and it comes with great responsibility.

For more information about teen driving safety, visit or www.nhtsa.gov or www.distraction.gov.

Good things are happening at the N.C. Department of Transportation, and people are noticing.

I’m proud to announce the department received two national awards last Saturday night at the National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop in Boise, Id. NCDOT won “Best Photo” for an image of crews working hard to stabilize the mountains above I-40 in Haywood County after a rockslide shut down the road near the Tennessee state line last October. The department also won “Best Public Involvement Plan” for its Driving 95 campaign, which is currently under way and relies on broad public input to determine what type of improvements are needed along aging I-95 and how those improvements could be funded. It’s a great example of how NCDOT is trying to better engage citizens in an open and transparent way.

A NTPAW site selection committee also picked NCDOT to host the national conference in Raleigh in 2012. The department competed against four other states for the honor. The judges found NCDOT offered the breadth of expertise and the resources necessary to educate transportation communicators on the latest developments in their profession.

I congratulate for NCDOT for its great work and look forward to welcoming members of other state DOTs to North Carolina in 2012.

Did you know that more major hurricanes strike North Carolina in August and September than all other months combined? That’s why the best way to stay safe is to stay informed.

The N.C. Department of Transportation manages 18 Twitter feeds that instantly update you on real-time travel conditions, as well as changes to our ferry schedules. If an emergency occurs, we send out tweets alerting the affected areas about road closures, driving conditions, flooding and evacuation routes.

Our Twitter feeds give immediate travel information to North Carolina residents and out-of-state visitors who may not know who to contact in an emergency.

You can also follow Twitter on your hand-held devices even if traditional telephone service and electricity are disrupted.

Our goal is to keep you safe using the “know before you go” approach. We encourage you to check Twitter on your computer or smartphone before you leave home, work or school, but not while driving. Behind the wheel, you should be focused on one thing only – operating the vehicle safely.

We maintain Twitter feeds for our Ferry Division, as well as Interstates 26, 85, 40, 77 and 95. There are also feeds for specific cities, areas and regions including Charlotte, the Triangle, the coast and the Western mountains of North Carolina.

If you would like a complete list, visit http://www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/default.html.

You can also use our other social media tools – Facebook, Flickr and YouTube – for valuable transportation information.

Nowadays, trying to find a job is a full-time job. Unemployment agencies. Career fairs. Internet sites. Jobseekers have to cover all their bases. It can be stressful and challenging.

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants to change that. That’s why we’re reaching out to jobseekers through our social media platforms. NCDOT Careers has Twitter and Facebook pages to let people know, “We’re hiring.” We tweet and post messages every time we list a new job opening. So, getting the latest updates is as easy as looking at your cell phone.

Currently, more than 40 careers are listed at ncdot.gov/careers ranging from engineer and auditor to mechanic and analyst.

We’re not just telling you where the jobs are, we’re doing our best to help you get them. If you visit twitter.com/ncdot_careers, you’ll find helpful articles and videos about interviewing, writing your resume, job searching and how to stand out in a sea of applicants.

NCDOT employs more than 13,000 employees across the state. We’re made up of a wide range of professionals including pilots, archeologists, geologists, graphic designers, writers, accountants and even scuba divers.

Through our diverse team, we take care of a transportation system that includes the country’s second largest state-maintained highway and ferry systems, as well as the nation’s first “Bicycle Highway” that now stretches more than 3,000 miles.

If you are interested in becoming part of our team, follow us at twitter.com/ncdot_careers or visit ncdot.gov/careers.

Bob and I have spent much of this week visiting small Western North Carolina towns in Buncombe, Madison, Yancey and Mitchell counties.  We visited small businesses, restaurants and county courthouses while talking to local officials and regular people about their concerns and what they believe my priorities should be for state government.

We’ve met hundreds of people and seen dozens of sights in the last few days, but a few in particular stick out.

We stopped to view the construction of Highway 19E – a collaborative project between DOT and DENR to create a green highway that is now in the application process to become a scenic byway.  The locals were excited about the project because it will be the first four lane highway to Yancey County and that means more business, tourism and ultimately jobs for the folks here.

I remember Mr. Candler in Mars Hill.  His ‘‘knowledge college’’ was a great place for the old-timers to hang out and swap stories about the good ole days and he was proud to show me his wedding photo from 53 years ago. 

Finally, I was very excited about visiting EnergyXchange in Burnsville.  EnergyXchange has created a viable industry out of capturing methane gas from an old landfill. They have turned the energy into fuel for a studio for glass artists and they grow food in their greenhouse.  The ability to use alternative energy and convert it into a sustainable business is a model for the nation.  I’m proud they call North Carolina home.   

Bob and I are going to more Western North Carolina towns later this week and I’ll have plenty more stories to share.

Today, NCDOT’s Rail Division officially received the first $20.3 million of the $545 million allocated to our state for high-speed rail improvements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. North Carolina was granted the sixth highest award to any state as part of President Obama’s high-speed rail plan, demonstrating the growing strength of our rail program.

We recently introduced a new mid-day service on our Piedmont route between Raleigh and Charlotte and are planning to launch a fourth daily service between the two cities as early as 2012. This initial $20.3 million will go toward refurbishing passenger coaches and locomotives to help support these expansions. It will also help create 34 new jobs for Amtrak train engineers and conductors, as well as personnel who operate and maintain the trains.

The rest of the money will help us make other needed improvements, including purchasing new locomotives and passenger cars, upgrading stations, building passing sidings and double tracks, closing highway/railroad crossings and constructing new highway bridges. All told, we’re expecting that this rail recovery money will create or maintain as many as 4,800 jobs across the state over the next four years.

The national long-term vision for the future of rail is focused on creating an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network that connects major population centers 100 to 600 miles apart. Short-term, the program will aid economic recovery and help improve existing rail infrastructure and equipment. North Carolina’s efforts, in partnership with other nearby states, center on developing the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor to ultimately connect Washington, D.C. and Charlotte at speeds up to 110 miles per hour.

Throughout the month of July, North Carolina and Virginia are hosting a series of public meetings between Richmond and Raleigh to gather input on proposed corridor designs and their potential impacts. The first one will be held tomorrow in Warren County. In addition, the Virginia-North Carolina Interstate High Speed Rail Compact held its inaugural meeting today in Raleigh.

For more information on Southeast High Speed Rail, visit www.sehsr.org.

This weekend, the roads will be busy as many of you travel to your favorite North Carolina vacation destinations to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. We want to help you avoid traffic tie-ups along the way. So, we have stopped work on most of our construction projects until 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 6.

Having fewer orange cones on the roads will help you get where you need to go more quickly while cutting down on fuel consumption and costs.

Fireworks Reminder
If your travels take you to the Carolina coast, remember not to take fireworks on the state’s ferries. It is illegal, even if they are in the trunk of your car. The only exceptions are for professionals performing at public fireworks displays. If convicted, you could face a maximum of 60 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Do not take a chance. Please leave the fireworks at home.

“Booze It & Lose It: Operation Firecracker”
We also want to remind you to have a designated driver ready if your party plans involve alcohol. Law enforcement officers will stage checkpoints and step up patrols to catch those who drink and drive during the holiday weekend. It is all part of the “Booze It & Lose It: Operation Firecracker” campaign, sponsored by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

Last year, six people died in our state in alcohol-related crashes over the Independence Day weekend. We do not want you to become a statistic. Be responsible and hand over the car keys if you have been drinking. 
 
Stay Connected
We hope you and your family have a safe Fourth of July holiday. Connect with the NCDOT this weekend on Twitter for all the latest news. You can also stay a step ahead of traffic delays by clicking here or calling 511. 

Travel is going to change soon for thousands of motorists who drive through Davidson and Rowan counties on I-85. And, this change is good.

I signed a $136 million contract today authorizing a team from Flatiron Constructors Inc. and The Lane Construction Corp. to replace the Yadkin River bridge. Design work is under way right now, and construction is set to begin in October. 

The bridge was built in 1955 and cannot effectively handle the 60,000 vehicles per day that rely on it to cross the river. It is too narrow, and when an accident occurs, traffic backs up for miles, which makes it difficult for emergency crews to get to the scene to help. Replacing it will greatly improve safety and reduce congestion.

This is the first of two phases that will upgrade the nearly seven mile corridor. We are working to find the money to pay for phase two, which will widen about three-and-a-half miles of I-85 to just north of I-85 Business.

In her budget, Gov. Perdue proposes establishing the N.C. Mobility Fund to pay for expensive projects of statewide significance. The first project that would be paid for from this fund would be widening I-85.

Improving this stretch of I-85 is a top priority for the state because of its importance to regional and statewide mobility, as well as interstate commerce. Replacing the Yadkin River bridges – the most critical safety need – is a tremendous milestone for us. 

I just returned from the mountains, where we had a wonderful ceremony Tuesday to mark the reopening of the stretch of Interstate 40 that had been closed since Oct. 25 because of a rockslide.

Cleaning up and stabilizing the mountain was a tremendous challenge. Crews spent months battling harsh winter weather as they blasted and removed 7,000 truckloads of rocks – enough to cover 37 football fields with a one-foot layer of rock. They also used a helicopter to install 540 rock bolts deep into the slope.

It was a real team effort, involving DOT officials from North Carolina and Tennessee, the Federal Highway Administration and the National Forest Service. They received tremendous support from Gov. Perdue, other state and local elected officials, the tourism community, the media and, of course, the public. It was an honor to be able to acknowledge their contributions at the recently reopened Welcome Center at mile marker 10.5.

It was a privilege to share the podium with Board of Transportation member Conrad Burrell and Cece Hipps, Executive Director of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, who noted the hardships endured by local residents as well as interstate truckers and travelers for whom I-40 is not just a road but a lifeline.

We marked a major milestone on Tuesday but we recognize that our job is not done. While the road is now safe for travel, crews will continue work through the summer to stabilize several sites in the area. Although it was cold and rainy outside, a warm spirit reined inside the Welcome Center. Every member of the rockslide team had a reason to smile as we watched the cars and trucks stream by on I-40.