Daily News Briefs, April 22, 2020

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New Spaulding Turnpike Lanes Eliminate a Traffic Chokepoint

Foster’s Daily Democrat reports, “Significant pinch points of traffic coming from Durham and Dover are being relieved with the opening Monday of new southbound lanes on the Spaulding Turnpike” where it crosses the Little Bay Bridge. “It’ll be a much better merge condition,” said NHDOT project engineer Adam Chestnut. The article adds that the lane openings are one phase of the $230 million project to widen the turnpike between Exits 1 and 6. Construction work reportedly continues in spite of the COVID-19 epidemic and is moving faster due to traffic reductions.

Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) New Hampshire New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT)

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North Carolina DOT Puts Mid-Currituck Bridge and Other Projects on Hold

The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced yesterday that all but about 50 major construction projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months are being delayed. It stated it expects to incur at least a $300 million budget shortfall in the fiscal year ending June 30 because of revenue losses attributable to the COVID-19 epidemic. “Projects moving forward are funded by GARVEE bonds, BUILD NC bonds and federal grants. A list of the projects that are still scheduled to be awarded in the next year is available on the NCDOT website​. The list of projects that have schedule changes can be found here​. These changes do not affect construction projects already underway or that have already been awarded.”

OBX Today reports, the proposed Mid-Currituck toll bridge is on the list of deferred projects.

Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) North Carolina North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) North Carolina Turnpike Authority

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COVID-19 Repercussions Puts Connecticut Transportation Funding in Jeopardy

Yankee Institute for Public Policy blog post takes a detailed look at the steep drop in Connecticut gasoline sales and highway traffic resulting from COVID-19 mitigation directives. The report indicates that the consequent loss of an estimated $102 million in fuel tax receipts has intensified concerns about the future solvency of the state’s Special Transportation Fund, its main source of highway infrastructure dollars.

Connecticut Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts)

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It's National Work Zone Awareness Week

The Kansas Turnpike Authority’s April “Turnpike Times” includes a reminder that this is National Work Zone Awareness Week. The theme of this year’s event, the twentieth since the program’s official launch, is “Safe Work Zones for All: Protect workers. Protect road users.”

Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA)

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These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.

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