The N.C. Department of Transportation's long-range transportation plan – called the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – identifies the construction funding and schedule for state transportation projects over a 10-year period. NCDOT updates the STIP approximately every two years.
The Strategic Transportation Investments law mandates ongoing evaluation and improvement to ensure that the process responds to North Carolina's diverse needs. This is accomplished by a prioritization work group consisting primarily of professional engineers and transportation planners.
The data-driven process to update the STIP is called
Strategic Prioritization. The current cycle to update the STIP for the years 2026-2035 is called Prioritization 7.0 or P7.0. It will start in summer 2023 when NCDOT divisions and local planning organizations gather initial public input on projects, which will then be submitted for evaluation and scoring.
Development Timeline
| Milestone | Dates* |
|---|
Data scores and Statewide Mobility funded project list released
| Spring 2024
|
Public comment period on Regional Impact projects & release of Regional Impact funded project list
| Summer 2024
|
Public comment on Division Needs projects
|
Fall 2024
|
2026-2035 draft STIP released
| Early 2025
|
2026-2035 STIP adoption by N.C. Board of Transportation
| Summer 2025
|
Federal Highway Administration approval of 2026-2035 STIP
| Fall 2025
|
*Future dates are preliminary and subject to change