GREENSBORO, NC - Publix distribution center construction was delayed after it was discovered more money would be needed to widen U.S. Highway 70 to accommodate for increased traffic.

The Greensboro-area Metropolitan Planning Organization had originally invested $4 million for an expansion of the highway in accommodation of the new Publix facility, according to local source News and Record.

In a recent vote, the organization nearly unanimously increased the budget by over 50 percent, bringing the total cost of the 1.2 mile highway expansion to a staggering $8.3 million. This money will be used to widen the area between Mount Hope Church and Birch Creek roads, near the site of the $300 million Publix distribution center.

While the expansion of the highway has been planned for completion in 2022, the same target completion date as the distribution center, more money may yet be necessary to complete the project.

According to Mike Mills, a division engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, estimates sometimes change as planners finalize their designs. However, Mills claims that the $8.3 million is “a more refined estimate.”

According to the News and Record, Publix new distribution center is estimated to bring 1,000 new jobs to Greensboro, with salaries averaging about $44,000 per year, so it is easy to see why the community voted to support the distribution center with more funding for the highway project.

AndNowUKnow hopes that Publix sees no further delays to the construction of its distribution center, and will continue to report on industry expansion efforts.

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