By Lena Moriarty
Intern
During an address that laid out several of the projects scheduled to be started in 2018, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said in the Jan. 29 State of the City address that transportation issues would be a top priority for city officials.
“We know how important it is to improve mobility in our city,” Saffo said. “We are constantly looking for opportunities, funding and partnership.”
Among the topics addressed was transportation, a matter that has received public attention year after year.
Transportation issues have frustrated Wilmington officials and residents for years, Saffo said, before describing a series of projects that he said would improve the flow of vehicles and pedestrians across the city.
Saffo highlighted the planned construction of overpasses at the intersection of Military Cutoff and Eastwood roads and at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway and Kerr Avenue.
“These two overpasses are part of five that were identified and funded by NCDOT and will most definitely improve traffic flow in our city,” Saffo said. “And they can’t finish them fast enough.”
Other projects included widening Kerr Avenue, completing the Love Grove Bridge, installing a new South College Road Trail, and adding to the Cross City Trail, Saffo said.
Widening Kerr Ave. is a project that has been in the works for months, and is expected to be complete this year, the mayor said.
MLK Parkway overpass construction will begin once the Kerr Avenue widening construction is completed. Military Cutoff and Eastwood Rd. overpass construction will begin once the MLK Parkway project is underway.
The additional Cross City Trail paths will be funded by a bond referendum that voters passed in 2016. This provides pedestrians and bikers with increased access to various locations around Wilmington, including the Cameron Art Museum, University of North Carolina Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. Access to a variety of parks can also be found along the trail.
Several new projects will also help improve public safety, Saffo said. A public safety training facility with an indoor firing range will begin construction in early 2018. The fire station at Carolina Beach Road and Shipyard Boulevard is also nearing completion as one of five outdated fire stations being replaced as promised by city council.
“I’m happy to report that overall crime in our community continues to fall,” Saffo said. “It has dropped an additional eight percent.”
The opioid epidemic and the chemical GenX in the water supply were the top public safety priority for city officials, Saffo said. Responses from local and state officials, federal agencies, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and the public resulted in Chemours ceasing the chemical discharge, he added.
Addressing the opioid epidemic, Saffo spoke of the impact of the crisis on not only individuals, but those surrounding them, such as families, hospitals and fire and police officers.
“This is a public health issue, not just a criminal or police issue,” Saffo said. “We all have to work together to address this reality now.”
