Balfour Beatty has completed two major transportation infrastructure projects in North Carolina valued at a combined $1.3 billion, marking a significant milestone for the state’s highway network.
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The projects — the Fayetteville Outer Loop and the Havelock Bypass — were delivered for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and are expected to improve travel efficiency, freight movement and economic connectivity across the region.
Both projects are designed to enhance connections between military bases, ports and rural communities, helping strengthen transportation infrastructure across eastern North Carolina.
One of the completed projects is the Fayetteville Outer Loop, a key segment of Interstate 295 designed to ease congestion and shorten travel times around the city of Fayetteville.
The highway provides improved connectivity between Fort Bragg and nearby communities, helping military personnel and local residents move more efficiently throughout the region.
Estimated to cost about $1 billion, the project included the construction of multiple highway sections as well as interchanges, overpasses and other roadway improvements aimed at supporting higher traffic volumes and improving safety.
Transportation officials say the project will play a key role in reducing congestion and improving regional mobility for commuters and freight traffic.
The second project, the Havelock Bypass, is located along U.S. Route 70 and connects inland communities to the Port of Morehead City and the state capital of Raleigh.
The $323 million bypass begins just north of the city limits of Havelock and runs south through Carteret County and Craven County.
The project included construction of a 16-kilometer four-lane divided highway and the installation of 15 bridges. Engineers also used approximately 5.8 million cubic yards of borrow material and 288,000 tons of asphalt during construction.
The bypass provides a faster route compared with the previous roadway, which was slowed by multiple traffic lights and congestion.
State transportation officials say the two projects will provide long-term economic benefits by strengthening connections between critical infrastructure, including military facilities and ports.
“These projects help improve traffic and freight movement along critical connections to our state ports and military bases and will assist economic development in eastern North Carolina’s rural areas.
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“We look forward to seeing the benefits these projects have on their respective regions for decades to come,” said Drew Cox.
Improved transportation routes can also support supply chains by enabling faster movement of goods between manufacturing hubs, ports and distribution centers.
Large-scale highway projects like the Fayetteville Outer Loop and Havelock Bypass are part of broader efforts by state transportation agencies to modernize aging infrastructure and accommodate growing population and freight demand.
By improving highway capacity and eliminating bottlenecks, transportation officials hope the new corridors will support regional growth while improving safety for drivers.
For contractors such as Balfour Beatty, projects of this scale highlight the continuing demand for large infrastructure developments across the United States as states invest billions to upgrade transportation systems and strengthen economic competitiveness.
Originally reported by Joe Quirke in Global Construction Review.
