Anyone who lives and works in Craven County is probably very familiar with the US 70 Corridor. Even those who aren’t local to the area probably use US 70 routinely, especially when heading to the beach during the summer. In fact, US 70 is one of North Carolina’s busiest highways. For many it is the main east to west artery between Morehead City on the coast and Raleigh in the interior.

This makes it an important conduit for people in cities like Kinston, Goldsboro and Havelock. Two bustling military bases, the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, are located along its length. Truck drivers use US 70 routinely to get consumer goods and other items to and from the deep-water port at Morehead City.

Clearly, the functionality of US 70 means a lot to the North Carolina economy. That’s why the North Carolina Department of Transportation, or NCDOT, has spent years planning improvements to this aging highway. One of the biggest proposed changes is the new bypass around Havelock. This project, which the NCDOT refers to as R-1015, will cost nearly $150 million to complete. It involves the construction of a new highway that will effectively divide the route of the current US 70. The bypass will begin just north of Pine Grove, continuing for approximately 10 miles, before rejoining US 70 near the Carteret County line.

According to the NCDOT, the improvements to US 70 are intended to ease congestion in the cities along the route as well as provide a more efficient hurricane evacuation corridor. Moreover, officials hope that the changes will mean expanding economic opportunities for people living in the largely rural areas that the corridor runs through.

Because the Havelock Bypass project involves construction of an entirely new four lane highway, the NCDOT has set aside funds to be used to purchase private property along the route. This appropriation of private property is called eminent domain, and government entities may use it when they are undertaking a project that is for the public benefit.

The Havelock Bypass project is likely to affect a number of private property owners who live or operate businesses along the proposed route. Although the NCDOT is prepared to pay these property owners for the land they take, they don’t always make a fair and just proposal.

If you live or own a business in Havelock and you’ve been approached by the NCDOT with an offer for your land, you are entitled to legal representation. Contact the eminent domain lawyers at Cranfill, Sumner & Hartzog to make certain that your rights are being protected. The North Carolina eminent domain attorneys at CSH have many years of experience dealing with property condemnation.

When the government offers to buy your land as part of a condemnation action, you’re likely to experience a number of emotions like fear, anger and loss. Chief among these feelings is confusion. Is the offer that the government is making truly a fair one?

With the assistance of the eminent domain lawyers at Cranfill, Sumner & Hartzog, you won’t have to wonder. You’ll have advocates who are committed to preserving your rights to just compensation, and you won’t have to settle for a penny less than you deserve.

Projects like the Havelock Bypass may stimulate economic growth, improve transportation and promote safety, but they can also have serious drawbacks for people who own property along the route. Protect your right to just compensation by choosing legal counsel provided by Cranfill, Sumner & Hartzog.