My Reporter: What's the status of roadwork on Military Cutoff and Eastwood Road?
As New Hanover County grows, so does the need for residents to take travel time into consideration. Sitting at a red light at the intersection of Eastwood and Military Cutoff Roads can be a daunting task for those in a rush, and with the eventual completion of Center Point, traffic concerns are growing.
While residents have been hearing about roadwork coming to the already busy intersection near Mayfaire, Landfall and the major upcoming development, Center Point, roadwork has yet to be seen.
The current project
Right now, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is addressing traffic concerns near the intersection by extending Drysdale Drive—a project in which roadwork on the intersection is largely dependent.
“The Drysdale Extension project will be completed this fall and is more than halfway complete,” said Lauren Haviland of NCDOT.
It’s not until after the completion of the Drysdale extension that roadwork on the Military Cutoff and Eastwood Road intersection will begin.
Haviland said the Drysdale extension “will be adjacent to Center Point and there will be an access to Center Point on the extension." The extension will feature two lanes in each direction with turning lanes. It will also have an eight-foot multi-use path on the south side, and a five-foot sidewalk on the north side of the extension.
Future work on the intersection
According to NCDOT, the intersection experiences daily congestion and delays. To address safety and travel concerns, the department believes that its future improvements to the intersection will better accommodate a higher traffic capacity while maintaining an acceptable speed of travel.
But before road work can actually begin, NCDOT needs to first complete the Drysdale extension. Currently, the DOT is in the process of purchasing the necessary right-of-way easements for its upcoming work on the intersection. The organization plans to begin work on a grade-separated interchange—an Eastwood Road bridge passing over Military Cutoff Road--in the fall of 2026.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Will Military Cutoff and Eastwood Road ever see any improvements?
