Question: When is the road construction project scheduled to begin for Newsome Road in Salisbury?

Margaret T. Shumate

Answer: Construction on Newsome Road is scheduled to begin in October or November 2015 at the earliest, according to City Engineer Wendy Brindle.

The road construction, a city of Salisbury project, would add bike lanes and sidewalks to Newsome Road. Brindle said the project’s timeline is a bit aggressive, but the city should be able to stick to the projected start date.

Brindle said the city hopes to begin right of way acquisition — obtaining additional property for the project — in late summer of this year.

She said the city would have to send designs to the N.C. Department of Transportation before certain parts of pre-construction and construction could begin.

The project is in a non-attainment area — a zone that has worse air quality levels than national standards — because of its proximity to Charlotte. As a result, Brindle said, 80 percent of the funding for the project will be federal. The city would match federal funds with about $280,000, she said.

Bike lanes or sidewalks qualify as projects that help improve air quality, she said.

The bike lanes scheduled for construction on Newsome Road wouldn’t connect to any others that currently exist on adjoining roads. As additional funding becomes available, Brindle said, the city would start work on additional bike lanes that could connect to Newsome Road.

Got a question for the Salisbury Post? Email it to askus@salisburypost.com