Current: Prioritization 8.0 (2025-2027)

What is the ECRPO doing now?

August - September: Coordination between ECRPO staff, the SPOT Subcommittee, NCDOT, aviation authorities, and public transit agencies resulted in the creation of the ECRPO Draft Project List for Prioritization 8.0. The list was presented to and approved by the ECRPO TCC and TAC. Following board approvals, the draft list is now available for a 30-day public comment period.

The public comment period will close on August 31st, 2025.

• You can view the ECRPO Draft Prioritization 8.0 Project List [HERE].
• For a visual reference, a Google Earth project map has been created to show the proposed projects. Access the map [HERE].
• To submit public comment, please contact and/or forward requests to Larry Faison, lfaison@eccog.org, with the subject line "P8 Public Comment"

New Express Design Requirements

Additionally, NCDOT’s Board of Transportation has recently approved a new rule for Prioritization requiring 8 of ECRPO’s eligible highway projects to have a completed express design prior to scoring in Prioritization 9.0, which will occur approximately two years from now. This rule is in effect now.

To comply with this requirement, the express design process must begin early. The schedule for submission of project requests to the NCDOT Feasibility Studies Unit is:

• 1/3 of projects due by end of November 2025
• 1/3 due by end of May 2026
• Final 1/3 due by end of September 2026

This new requirement was approved to ensure more accurate project cost estimates and to help avoid the rising costs that reduce available funding in future STI cycles. To stay ahead of the required timeline, ECRPO staff plan to submit all 8 identified projects to the NCDOT Feasibility Studies Unit now, to allow sufficient time for completion of the express designs before P9.0 scoring begins.

Due to the importance of these projects forming the basis for P9.0, staff thought it best to also present the list to the public for a 30-day public comment period.

The public comment period will close on August 31st, 2025.

Staff, in coordination with the SPOT Subcommittee, have prepared the following list, which is very similar to the P8.0 project list.

• You can find the Draft Prioritization 9.0 Express Design Project List [HERE].

What is coming next?

September: After the public comment period ends, ECRPO staff will incorporate any necessary edits or updates based on public input. The ECRPO TCC and TAC will meet on September 18th at 9:30 AM at the La Grange Community Center. The public is encouraged to attend and share feedback on the Prioritization 8.0 Project List. Following discussion, the TCC and TAC will vote on whether to adopt the final list.

During this meeting, the TCC and TAC will also vote on whether to adopt the Draft Prioritization 9.0 Express Design Project List, which was made available for a 30-day public comment period. If approved, ECRPO staff will submit these projects to the NCDOT Feasibility Studies Unit for express design development ahead of the P9.0 cycle.

End of September: ECRPO staff will submit the adopted P8.0 project list to NCDOT by the September 30th submission deadline. If approved, the express design list will be submitted to the NCDOT Feasibility Studies Unit early to meet all required deadlines and support NCDOT’s scoring for P9.0.

What has the ECRPO Done so far?

June-July: With guidance from the ECRPO Director, members of the Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) and Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) had formed a SPOT Subcommittee. This advisory group assisted the ECRPO Coordinator and Board in reviewing and recommending potential project submissions, as well as provided input on local input point assignments as part of the NCDOT Prioritization process.

The SPOT Subcommittee consists of:

• At least one representative from Duplin County.
• At least one representative from Greene County.
• At least one representative from Lenoir County.
• At least one representative from Wayne County.
• At least one representative from NCDOT Division 2.
• At least one representative from NCDOT Division 3.
• At least one representative from NCDOT Division 4.

Important Notes and Dates

• The calendar for P8.0 can be found [HERE].
• Project submittals for the P8.0 cycle are due by Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
• The P8 Workgroup has agreed to reduce the number of project submittals for all RPO's and MPO's by 30%. The ECRPO has been reduced from 21 Submittal slots per mode, to 15 submittal slots per mode for the P8.0 Cycle.