Fayetteville NC Road & Infrastructure Projects: 2026 Status

The biggest change to getting around Fayetteville is already done: the I-295 Outer Loop opened in full in November 2025. What remains is a long list of widening, median and city capital projects, most of them years from completion. This guide gives the status of each major project with the date and source behind it, as of October 2026. Schedules on state road projects move often, so treat any future date as a target, not a promise.

Project Status Tracker

Project	Agency and ID	Status (source date)	Next milestone
I-295 Fayetteville Outer Loop	NCDOT	Fully open since Nov. 25, 2025	None; complete
I-95 widening, Exits 55-71	NCDOT I-5986	Under construction since 2019	NCDOT has posted no completion date
I-95 widening south, MM 21-37	NCDOT I-5987	"Construction is underway"	Robeson County segments
Raeford Road raised median	NCDOT U-4405	Bunce Rd. to Brighton Rd. contract active (July 2026)	Overall completion targeted end of 2028
Camden Road widening	NCDOT	Work began April 2025	Completion expected end of 2028
All American Freeway widening	NCDOT U-4414	Planned	No confirmed construction start
Murchison Road (NC 210)	NCDOT U-4900	Design and right of way	Preliminary construction award December 2027
City capital plan	City of Fayetteville	FY 2027 budget adopted June 22, 2026	$117 million of projects this year

Interstates

I-295 Outer Loop: complete

NCDOT opened the final 5-mile segment, between Raeford and Camden roads, on November 25, 2025, five months ahead of schedule. The full loop is 39 miles and meets I-95 at Exit 58 in Eastover and Exit 38 in northern Robeson County. Ground was broken on the first segment, from Ramsey Street to River Road, in 1999, and that section opened in 2003. For residents, the practical effect is a continuous freeway from the west side and Fort Bragg to I-95 in both directions.

I-95 widening north of Fayetteville (I-5986)

NCDOT is widening I-95 from four lanes to eight across 26 miles between Exit 55 (Murphy Road) and I-40 at Exit 81. The Cumberland County portion, Exits 55 to 71, began construction in 2019 under a $404 million design-build contract awarded to S.T. Wooten that August. The northern segment, Exits 71 to 81, began in 2021.

NCDOT's project page lists the total at $708,956,000, including $612.1 million for construction, and notes a $147 million federal INFRA grant for the Exit 55-71 portion. As of October 2026, the page did not give a completion date. Design changes added roundabouts at the Exit 61 (Wade-Stedman Road) and Exit 65 (Godwin-Falcon Road) ramps, and the project was extended south to Exit 55 to replace a flood-prone culvert under Murphy Road with a bridge.

I-95 widening south (I-5987)

South of the city, NCDOT's I-95 Widening South page says construction is underway on an eight-lane rebuild of mile markers 21 to 37 in Robeson County, in two sections estimated at about $254 million and $289 million. Section C, mile markers 37 to 40 near Hope Mills, is handled as part of the Outer Loop project.

Surface Roads

Raeford Road median (U-4405)

Raeford Road (US 401) is being converted from an open center turn lane to a raised median with controlled turns. NCDOT awarded Branch Civil a $48 million contract for roughly 2 miles from Bunce Road to Brighton Road, and its July 2, 2026 release says the overall project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. That release also announced a two-week closure near Ireland Drive, starting July 13, to remove an abandoned culvert over Buckhead Creek.

Camden Road widening

Camden Road on the west side of Hope Mills is being widened from two lanes to four, from the I-295 interchange to Beswick Court, with a raised median. The Fayetteville Observer reported in August 2025 that Highland Paving won the $20.2 million contract, work began in April 2025 and completion is expected by the end of 2028.

All American Freeway (U-4414)

NCDOT plans to widen the All American Freeway from four lanes to six, from Owen Drive north toward I-295. A 2019 NCDOT announcement targeted a 2025 construction start, which has passed. As of October 2026 we found no current NCDOT schedule confirming when work will begin. This corridor also feeds Fort Bragg, where the All American Gate closed for separate construction on July 27, 2026. See our Fort Bragg gates guide for current entry routes.

Murchison Road (U-4900)

NCDOT's Murchison Road project page, last updated June 18, 2026, covers about 2 miles of NC 210 from I-295 to just south of the US 401 Bypass. The plan adds four travel lanes, a grass median, a 10-foot multi-use path on the east side and a new sidewalk on the west side. The estimate is $63.7 million, including $35 million for construction, and the preliminary construction award date is December 2027.

City of Fayetteville Capital Projects

FY 2027 budget and capital plan

City Council adopted the FY 2027 budget on June 22, 2026: a $327.3 million operating budget and $117 million in new capital investments, part of a six-year, $556.9 million capital program. The property tax rate stayed at 44.95 cents per $100 of value. This year's capital money includes:

• $40 million for stormwater
• $19.5 million for public safety facilities, equipment and technology
• $12 million for housing preservation and homeownership
• $9.1 million for environmental protection
• $7.6 million for transportation improvements

Stormwater fees and FAST fares were not raised. Utility work for water, sewer and electricity is planned separately by the Public Works Commission; see our PWC utilities guide.

2022 bond projects

Voters approved up to $97 million in general obligation bonds in November 2022: up to $60 million for public safety, $25 million for infrastructure and $12 million for housing, according to the city's bond page. The infrastructure share lists 14.5 miles of sidewalks, five intersection improvements, buffered bike lanes and street repaving.

At a January 2026 council update reported by BizFayetteville, Fire Station 16 was in design, the city had chosen an architect and bought land for Fire Station 9, Fire Station 2 was being studied as a renovation, and the new 911 center was in planning while site selection and county consolidation talks continued.

2016 parks bond projects

The same update listed completed parks bond projects including Senior Center East, the Bill Crisp Senior Center, the D. Gilmore Therapeutic Center, the Rowan Street skate park, Jordan Soccer Complex improvements and several splash pads. The Courts at Glenville Lake tennis center was expected to finish at the end of January 2026. The McArthur Road Sports Complex was out to bid, with completion anticipated in March or April 2027. Cape Fear River Park and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park were in design. Our Cape Fear River Trail and parks guide covers the trail system those projects connect to.

Transit and Airport

A FAST feasibility study, summarized by the city on March 3, 2026, identified six potential regional express routes, including links to Hope Mills, West Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Fort Bragg and the airport. It recommended a second bus facility in West Fayetteville because the current 57-year-old facility is at capacity. FAST has also won a federal Low-No Emission grant for five battery-electric and hybrid buses. No launch dates have been set. Current fares and routes are in our transportation and parking guide.

At Fayetteville Regional Airport, the city reports that Phase III of the terminal renovation, the last of the main terminal work, is complete, and that a rental car facility relocation and an airport master plan are in progress. See the FAY airport guide for flights and parking.

How to Track Projects Yourself

1. Search NCDOT's project pages by STIP number (such as U-4405 or I-5986) for maps and schedules.
2. Check DriveNC for lane closures before you travel.
3. Use the city's Capital Project Dashboard, linked from its City Projects page, for city-funded work.
4. For a wider view of new buildings and business openings, see our Fayetteville developments tracker.

Sources

• NCDOT: I-295 fully opens (Nov. 25, 2025)
• NCDOT: I-95 Widening North of Fayetteville
• NCDOT: I-95 Widening South of Fayetteville
• NCDOT: Raeford Road detour release (July 2, 2026)
• NCDOT: Murchison Road U-4900
• City of Fayetteville: FY 2027 budget adopted
• BizFayetteville: January 2026 construction project update
• City of Fayetteville: FAST regional expansion study

Details checked October 2026.