Historic East Howard Street to be upgraded with road development.

The speed limit will increase to 35mph after the paving is finished. You can scoot on past those Howard Street ghosts!

After years of thoughtful consideration, surveying and planning the “Friends of Howard St Association“ have agreed with the NCDOT Highway Department to install a hard surface thoroughfare over the length of Howard Street.

Years of dealing with the cost and labor of maintenance, filling monster-size potholes and grading over oyster shells, sand, and gravel have finally prompted this decision. The new road surface will function with one lane each way divided by a double yellow line. To make the roadway a standard state road width, road widening will have to occur. Howard St homeowners will be compensated for the necessity of relocating picket fences and graveyards to accommodate the widening. 

Understandably, this decision has met with some opposition, however the practicality of affording safer travel for visitors seeking the full Howard Street experience also entered the equation – and eventually won out.

Work on the new road surface is scheduled to begin this month and be completed before Memorial Day. A proposed new route for the Trolley will also accommodate a Howard Street stop.