What's better than going to the beach? A faster way to get there.
U.S. 70, a four-lane route between Raleigh and Morehead City in Carteret County, is undergoing upgrades to become Interstate 42. The new route will shave almost an hour from the time it takes to get from the Triangle to the Crystal Coast — reducing travel from three to nearly two hours.
"There are many segments to this project — it's not all being done as one upgrade at the same time. It's being done in multiple pieces over approximately a decade," explained Don Kirkman, Carteret County Economic Development Director. Several new I-42 segments, including the Goldsboro Bypass, are already complete. The Havelock Bypass and the James City upgrades (a stretch of U.S. 70 from the Neuse and Trent River Bridges in New Bern to the new Havelock Bypass), will be complete within the next four years. When these two segments are completed, there will be a continuous, limited access, high speed interstate from Kinston to Newport in Carteret County. When the project is completed, Triangle residents can take I-40 to Garner to access I-42 and continue on this interstate to Newport in Carteret County.
I-42 will cover 132 miles basically along the same route as the current U.S. 70 corridor. Beyond being just a faster way to travel between the Triangle and the Crystal Coast, I-42 will be an important highway for freight movements, and it will expedite evacuations when storm events threaten.
The ease of travel, in addition to the time savings, will make Carteret County attractive to tourists who want to spend a week, a weekend or even a day at the Crystal Coast. Workers employed by Research Triangle companies who have the flexibility to work remotely will find it much easier to live at the beach and commute to the Triangle when necessary. A large number of Triangle residents own second homes, condominiums and investment properties on the Crystal Coast in Carteret County, and this number will surely increase as new Interstate highway from the Triangle to Carteret County will help the Crystal Coast become an even more popular vacation and second home destination for residents from the Triangle and other North Carolina metro areas.
Future residents who move to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding cities and suburbs are going to want beach homes, too, making real estate in Carteret County have a greater demand and consequently, a greater price.
In addition to quicker and less stressful routes for tourists, second home owners and remote workers, I-42 will also help facilitate more economic development all along the new I-42 corridor, including Carteret County. Inland access is especially important for coastal cities that rely heavily on commerce and logistics, including port communities like Morehead City.
Southeastern North Carolina — in Brunswick County, New Hanover County and Pender County — experienced substantial economic growth and dramatic population growth following the completion of I-40 to Wilmington in 1990. Carteret County already is starting to see positive impacts here with the Goldsboro Bypass and other completed highway improvements. As more segments of the new I-42 open, additional economic and population growth in Carteret County will follow.
Additionally, Carteret County is a value destination for developers looking for long-term appreciation and growth potential, especially those in the Research Triangle region who have been priced out of the Triangle market.
These population and economic expansions forecast with the arrival of I-42 will create challenges and county and municipal leaders are already planning for them so the Crystal Coast will be able to maintain and continue to promote it's beautiful and unique natural resources.
The I-42 corridor has been the vision of many Eastern North Carolina and the Crystal Coast for a long, long time. This interstate will help the Crystal Coast and the counties along this corridor to attract businesses and people and retain population that might have otherwise move away. Bottom line, this perfect storm of growth will increase demand for real estate and with demand comes increased value and prices. Now, is a good time to invest in Crystal Coast real estate. When you are ready to invest, visit my website @ www.EIHomesforSale.com and ask for my free Guide to Living Where You Vacation or text your email address to: 919-308-2292.
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