Hampstead bypass project on track for 2030 completion, officials say

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (WECT) - A two-phase highway bypass project in Hampstead is progressing on schedule, with the northern section roughly 65% complete and the southern section about 10% complete, according to project officials.

The bypass is designed to address traffic congestion along U.S. 17, an area that has seen significant population growth in recent years.

Residents say the project is long overdue.

“It would literally just free me up from being a full-time tourist in my own neighborhood,” said Hampstead resident Paul Lutz.

The traffic can be so bad that neighbors in the area are deterred from leaving their houses.

“It’s a choke point. It’s a major stopping point, and it doesn’t allow people to even use a business locally...I limit leaving the area because it’s so difficult to get out. Oftentimes, I’ll have to do it at a weird hour,” said Lutz.

The project is divided into two sections. The northern B section broke ground in 2022 and is expected to reach completion in the first part of summer 2027, according to the state Department of Transportation. The southern A section began construction in August and is also running on schedule.

“The B section is roughly 65% complete,” Brad Haste, Jacksonville resident engineer with NCDOT, said. “The A section is roughly 10%, and it is running on schedule.”

Officials said some revisions have extended the overall project timeline slightly, but construction is proceeding as expected. The full project is slated for completion in 2030.

And residents look forward to the day the project becomes a reality.

“Whether you’re trying to get to school or you’re trying to commute home, everything is a race. This road just wasn’t meant to be a bypass. Living here, it’s also loud,” said Lutz.

Haste said the biggest challenge has been the volume of material required for both sections.

“The B section is a little bit over 4 million cubic yards of material, and the A section is going to be a little over 3 million cubic yards of material,” Haste said. “There’s just a lot of volume of material to haul in place.”

In the next 6 to 12 months, crews will begin drainage work on U.S. 17 just north of the bypass near the Slew Point area. That work will involve traffic shifts, including a new southbound alignment further south.

Officials said signage, advance warning notices and message boards will be in place to help drivers navigate the changes.

Once both sections are complete, drivers heading into Hampstead will see little change to existing routes. Those using the bypass will be able to exit at Hoover Road or N.C. 140, or continue into Wilmington, where the bypass connects with the Military Cutoff Extension.

But neighbors like Lutz say the completion can’t come soon enough.

“It just needs to happen more rapidly, I mean, maybe some more resources. Maybe taking a look at how many accidents are really happening and maybe placing a higher priority on some of the bypasses,” said Lutz.

Officials also said improvements to U.S. 17 include road widening and the addition of service roads to increase capacity for drivers remaining on the business section of the highway.