Public meeting October 12 for the proposed widening of U.S. 321

RALEIGH, NC (October 2, 2017)…The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting on October 12 for the proposed widening of U.S. 321 between U.S. 70 in Hickory to Southwest Boulevard in Lenoir.  The meeting will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Broyhill Center – Room 215, located at 1913 Hickory Blvd. SE, in Lenoir. This will be an open-house style meeting providing an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the project team.  No formal presentation will be made at this meeting.

NCDOT reviewed all comments received at the public hearings held on July 11 and 12, 2016, and a second meeting held on July 27, 2017, an updated traffic forecast and other input, and will, at this meeting, present the recommended alternative for the corridor.  NCDOT and Consultant staff will be available and interested citizens will be able to review maps, ask questions and submit comments.  Comments may be submitted by mail, email or phone until November 9, 2017.

The recommended alternative is the same as presented at the July 2017 public meeting with these exceptions:

• At Grace Chapel Road a flyover bridge is proposed to allow drivers traveling from Grace Chapel Road to access U.S. 321 southbound towards Hickory directly, with a superstreet intersection serving the other movements as the preferred alternative.

• At Alex Lee Boulevard a tight diamond interchange with on and off ramps to U.S. 321 in the northbound and southbound directions is proposed.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Diane Wilson, NCDOT Senior Public Involvement Officer at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC  27699-1598 by phone (919) 707-6073 or email at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov  as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

The Caldwell County Commissioners have scheduled a meeting on October 16 to describe the new alternative in a more formal setting.  A presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m., a Question & Answer session will follow.

Aquellas personas que hablan español y no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al  1-800-481-6494.