BUIES CREEK – North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti and a team of DOT officials toured Campbell University Wednesday and visited the School of Medicine construction site to discuss road work needed for the state’s first medical school in 35 years.
Conti, Deputy Secretary Ted Vaden, DOT Engineer Greg Burns and DOT Commissioner Ed Grannis also saw first-hand the fruits of DOT’s labor on the University’s two roundabouts on Leslie Campbell Avenue. The second roundabout opened to traffic almost a year ago this month.
Construction at the School of Medicine began in December, and the 96,500-square-foot facility is expected to open for classes in Fall 2013. Major construction is targeted to end in May 2013.
The building is located on U.S. 421 about a quarter-mile west of Campbell’s main campus in Buies Creek. Currently, the highway is four lanes with cross-over medians. The medical school will require widening the highway and adding turning lanes, among other needed improvements, according to Jim Roberts, Campbell’s Vice President for Business and Treasurer.
Conti, who was appointed to the DOT by Gov. Bev Perdue in 2009, said he was impressed with the medical school site and the overall campus and added that the tour only reaffirmed his appreciation of partnerships like the one between Campbell and the state.
“It’s great to see it when facilities and road projects meet people’s needs and (in the case of the roundabouts) provide the aesthetics people want,” Conti said. “These improvements take a lot of time and hard work, and they’re working well here. It’s a great example that I’ll use in other places, how well these partnerships can work.”
Story and Photo by Billy Liggett, Assistant Director for Publications