News Flash

Project Overview

The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to improve the intersection of N.C. 16 and Optimist Club Road in Lincoln County. The purpose of the project is to relive congestion at the existing intersection.

Project Highlights

The project proposal includes: 

• a partial cloverleaf interchange at the intersection of Optimist Club Road and N.C. 16 in Lincoln County. 
• realignment of Optimist Club Road over N.C. 16.   N.C. 16 will remain on its existing alignment

• a multi-use path along both sides of Optimist Club Road east of Forney Creek Parkway

The purpose of the project is to provide traffic relief to N.C. 16 Business

Construction of the project, will require easements from the Forney Creek Trail – Kathryn G. Clark segment of the Carolina Thread Trail, which is owned by the Catawba Lands Conservancy.  Preliminary design indicated that the right-of-way needed will be approximately 0.14 acres of the Catawba Lands Conservancy property, but would have no adverse effects on the activities, features and attributes of the Forney Creek Trail.

Project History

In 2021, signalization was implemented at the intersection of N.C. 16 Bypass and Optimist Club Road to decrease the traffic backup caused by U-turns along N.C. 16 Bypass. The signalization at this intersection was intended to serve as an intermediate solution to traffic congestion along N.C. 16 Bypass. By upgrading the existing intersection into an interchange, traffic operations will be further improved. 

Open House

Feb. 16, 2023

East Lincoln Community Center

8160 Optimist Club Road, Denver 

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

There will be no formal presentation