Balfour Beatty has completed two major highway projects in North Carolina valued at a combined $1.3 billion, strengthening regional mobility and freight connectivity across the state.
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The contractor announced the opening of the Fayetteville Outer Loop on Interstate 295 and the Havelock Bypass on U.S. 70, marking the culmination of years of construction work in both the southeastern and eastern coastal regions.
The Fayetteville Outer Loop, a $1 billion project estimated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, is now open to traffic. The 39-mile beltway wraps around the western portion of Fayetteville, linking U.S. 401 in the north to Interstate 95 south of the metro area.
The project, which began in 2003, provides a more direct route to Fort Bragg, the largest military installation in the country. State officials say the connection will reduce congestion, shorten commute times and improve freight movement throughout the region.
Balfour Beatty’s role included constructing multiple highway segments, interchanges, overpasses and roadway improvements. The enhanced corridor is expected to support both military logistics and commercial trucking traffic moving through eastern North Carolina.
Beyond congestion relief, the loop is designed to accommodate future population growth in Cumberland County and surrounding areas, where residential and industrial development has steadily expanded over the past decade.
In eastern North Carolina, Balfour Beatty also completed the Havelock Bypass along U.S. 70. The project officially opened to drivers in December after construction began in 2019.
The bypass, located roughly two hours north of Wilmington, is aimed at easing traffic congestion while strengthening hurricane evacuation routes away from the coast — a critical function in a region prone to severe storms.
NCDOT estimated construction costs at $268 million, with the total project cost reaching $323 million.
Balfour Beatty’s U.S. Civils team built approximately 9.2 miles of four-lane divided highway, including bridges and interchanges. The design also incorporated environmental safeguards to protect the adjacent 160,000-acre Croatan National Forest.
Planning for the bypass began in 2011 with a draft environmental impact statement and public hearings. Final construction work is expected to wrap up this winter.
The contractor continues to expand its footprint in the state. In 2023, Balfour Beatty secured a $242 million design-build contract to upgrade portions of the U.S. Highway 70 corridor, which is slated to become Interstate 42. That project is scheduled for completion in 2028 and will further modernize transportation infrastructure across eastern North Carolina.
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While these project completions mark significant milestones, Balfour Beatty’s U.S. Civils division has faced profitability challenges.
During the company’s 2025 half-year earnings update, former CEO Leo Quinn disclosed cost overruns on a highway project in Texas that weighed on performance. Additionally, in its full-year 2024 earnings call, the firm cited a dip in profit tied to delays on a small number of U.S. civil projects.
Despite those setbacks, the completion of the Fayetteville Outer Loop and Havelock Bypass demonstrates the contractor’s continued role in delivering large-scale infrastructure aimed at improving mobility, supporting military and freight operations, and strengthening storm resilience across North Carolina.
Originally reported by Matthew Thibault, Reporter in Construction Dive.
