News

I-87 brings the Triangle and northeastern NC together

This week, the NC East Alliance economic development organization — the counterpart to the Research Triangle Regional Partnership in our area — held an I-87 working group meeting online.

Nearly 200 people attended the event, which spoke of current work and future opportunities to advance the corridor between Raleigh and Norfolk, Va. via Elizabeth City.

I provided opening remarks, speaking of the history of RTA’s engagement with I-87, which has become our first north-south primary Interstate in Wake County, and our future Interstate linkage to I-95 north.

RTA has supported this corridor for more than 15 years, and we seen tangible improvements — from former Governor McCrory’s announcement of the initial Interstate designation at our annual meeting in 2013, to Congressional approval of the entire two-state corridor in 2015, to the receipt of the I-87 designation in 2016 and subsequent posting along the US 64 corridor itself.

How do you complete a 200 mile upgrade to Interstate? The same way you eat an elephant:  one bite at a time.

If we work together — and thanks to partners including NCDOT, the NC East Alliance, the Highway 17/64 Association, and many others including our federal and state delegations — Interstate 87 can be a gift that we give to our children, rather than just to our grandchildren.

You can find more information via the following links:

Let’s get moving,

Joe

Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director

RTA is the voice of the regional business community on transportation

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