NCDOT to hold public meetings regarding Business 40

Winston-Salem residents can join in discussions regarding renovations along Business 40. 

Tuesday and Thursday evening, the North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold public hearings about the $60 million project.

Plans include repairing a one-mile section of the highway in downtown Winston-Salem and improving entry and exit ramps on Business 40 between Fourth and Church Streets.

Lee French is the board chair for the Creative Corridor Coalition. This group is working with the city and NC DOT to influence the aesthetic appearance of the finished project. According to French, the renovation can help promote Winston-Salem as a city on the move.

“We think for a city that has a story to pass as ours does and has bright a future as many of us here believe,” says French. “That a statement about who we are and that important things happen here can be realized through design, can be realized though how a bridge looks.”

According to French, it's important for people to attend the public hearings because the final structures built will be in place for a very long time. The NCDOT anticipates construction to begin in 2016.

Tonight's public hearing will be held at the Milton Rhodes Arts Center on North Spruce Street in Winston-Salem. The NCDOT presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The second meeting will be Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Recreational Center. The center is on Leisure Lane.