From railway to interstate and everything in between, Eastern North Carolina raised the bar with its intense focus on infrastructure improvements during 2016. There were many accomplishments that helped 2017 get off on the right foot. Eastern North Carolina saw that completion of several projects and the announcement of many more that will vastly improve the transportation corridor throughout eastern North Carolina.
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From railway to interstate and everything in between, Eastern North Carolina raised the bar with its intense focus on infrastructure improvements during 2016. There were many accomplishments that helped 2017 get off on the right foot. Eastern North Carolina saw that completion of several projects and the announcement of many more that will vastly improve the transportation corridor throughout eastern North Carolina.
Eastern NC Infrastructure Projects
Rail
The Carolina Connector Intermodal Hub, announced in July by CCX, will create jobs, reduce transportation costs and stimulate economic activity. This $270M+ critical infrastructure project will serve as a major transportation hub in the Southeast, and a catalyst for substantial economic growth throughout the state of North Carolina. It will allow existing businesses and state ports to have greater access to global markets at lower logistics costs.
Ports
Moving towards the coast, eastern NC see improvements at both ports. The Port of Wilmington Cold Storage is a new cold storage warehouse facility containing roughly 3 million cubic feet, located directly on terminal on the Port of Wilmington, NC. It is used to maintain specific temperatures for the storage of perishable goods, such as fruits, vegetables and proteins. The warehouse is not only the first cold storage facility in North Carolina, but also one of the select few facilities in the nation.
The Port at Morehead City will see more than one improvement beginning with dredging that will help deepen the shipping channel that will bring the ocean bar down 43 feet, where the authorized depth is 45 feet.
Foreign Trade Zones
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has put many ideas into reality for 2017 with the U.S. Foreign Trade Zone Board approved to expand Foreign Trade Zone #214. This offers individuals and businesses in 22 counties the opportunity to import foreign goods into a duty-free zone.
In addition to expansion, the newly approved application brings the zone under the more flexible Alternative Site Framework (ASF), which streamlines the application process for new companies. New magnet sites have also been approved including Radio Island at the Port of Morehead City.
The Foreign Trade Zone 20 expansion helped multiple counties clear the path for inclusion including: Elizabeth City, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank and Perquimans. Companies operating in Foreign Trade Zones can defer, reduce or eliminate U.S. Customs duties on imported products. Once in a zone, imported components can be stored, distributed, assembled, manufactured, repackaged and tested, and customs duties are not paid on products exported outside of the United States.
Interstates
The NCDOT has also designated three new interstates in Eastern NC; I-42 I-87 I-587, which will create a transportation corridor allowing companies a more direct and faster route through eastern NC. Interstate Designations Interstate 42: Raleigh to Morehead City Interstate 87: Raleigh to Norfolk Interstate 587: Zebulon to Greenville.
Eastern North Carolina ushered in 2017 with a promising path to success with the many infrastructure projects that are in the pipeline. The projects are sure to bring a renewed vision of eastern NC as a viable location for industry growth.