Division of Highways

Asset Management

Recommends to the Board of Transportation the distribution of Maintenance and Resurfacing Funds across 14 Divisions and 100 counties. Manages and supports the following central units:

Bridge Management Unit

Responsible for the inspection, analysis, inventory, and administration of maintenance policies and procedures for all structures on the State Highway System.

Fleet and Material Management Unit

Supports NCDOT's equipment and material needs for the operation of the state's transportation system.

Pavement Management Unit

Provides adequate and economical designs for new pavements and rehabilitation designs. Maintains records of pavement history, service life, skid, profile, features and conditions of existing paved roadways.

Secondary Roads Unit

Maintains the inventory of secondary roads, as well as paved and unpaved roads, on the NCDOT system. Manages priority status for unpaved roads to be paved and responds to the public's inquiries regarding additions and deletions of roads to the state-maintained system.

State Road Maintenance Unit

Implements and manages programs for maintaining roads on the NCDOT system.

Operations

Field Support:

Field Support oversees the Construction Unit, Materials and Tests Unit, Roadside Environmental Unit, the Right of Way Branch and the 14 division offices across North Carolina.

Construction Unit

Provides oversight and administration to highway construction projects under private contract. This office ensures adequate staffing, monitors and evaluates contractual agreements, and works closely with the Federal Highway Administration.

Materials and Tests Unit

Responsible for determining the quality of materials and products incorporated into the Transportation System. The Unit manages the training and certification of technicans and approves products for use and provides expertise to field personnel.

Right of Way Branch

Responsible for acquisition of all necessary lands and rights of way used for construction and improvements of all roads and highways which are part of the State Highway System.

Roadside Environmental Unit

Provides roadside elements for a state highway system that is safe, environmentally sound, attractive and responsive to the public's needs. Programs of interest include NC Wildflower, NC Scenic Byways, Adopt-A-Highway, Wildlife Habitat and Rest Areas.

Division Offices

Transportation Mobility and Safety

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Signals Unit

Plans, designs and implements traffic signals, signal systems and intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies statewide. The Traffic Electronics Center repairs signal, communications and ITS equipment.

Oversize/Overweight Permits Unit

Processes applications and issues permits for oversize/overweight vehicles. The Permit Unit also furnishes lists of restricted routes and permit information to the general public.

Signing and Delineation Unit

Responsible for the design and application of permanent signs, pavement marking, and other traffic control devices that delineate highways within the state’s transportation system.

Traffic Management Unit

Oversees Congestion Management, Municipal and School Transportation Assistance, and Work Zone Traffic Control.

Traffic Safety Unit

Implements and evaluates safety and traffic operational strategies to reduce crashes on North Carolina roadways. The Traffic Safety Unit includes the Traffic Safety Systems Section, the Mobility and Safety Field Operations Section, and the Mobility and Safety Information Section.

Traffic Systems Operations Unit

Uses signal system timing, incident management, intelligent transportation systems, and public information strategies to help our transportation roadway network move people and goods more safely and efficiently.

Preconstruction

Geotechnical Engineering Unit

The Geotechnical Engineering Unit provides the expertise required by NCDOT in the geologic and geotechnical engineering aspects of planning, design, construction and maintenance of North Carolina highways.

Hydraulics Unit

The Hydraulics Unit is responsible for the broad range of activities that relate to hydraulic and surface drainage for all highway construction and maintenance contracts and activities.

Location & Surveys Unit

The Location & Surveys Unit performs route location surveys and obtains engineering data needed for project mapping and development in the construction of highways and bridges in North Carolina.

Photogrammetry Unit

The Photogrammetry Unit acquires aerial photography and produces digital spatial information products used for transportation planning design, construction, and maintenance.

Project Development & Environmental Analysis

The Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch (PDEA) was formed in response to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which called for efforts to prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and the biosphere.

Roadway Design Unit

The Roadway Design Unit is responsible for the preparation of roadway design plans and engineering cost estimates for all centrally let highway construction projects in North Carolina.

Structure Design Unit

The Structure Design Unit performs technical and design work that coordinates plans and proposals for road and bridge projects throughout North Carolina.

Transportation Planning Branch

Works with local entities across the state to develop plans for North Carolina’s transportation system.

Utilities Section

The Utilities Section is responsible for developing utility engineering designs, performing engineering design reviews and coordinating with utility owners to facilitate utility movements necessary for the construction of NCDOT highway projects.