VHB was recognized at the 2026 ACEC/NC Engineering Excellence Awards for our contributions to the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) North Old Carriage Road Corridor Improvement Project in Rocky Mount, NC. The project received an honors award in the transportation category. The annual program celebrates innovative engineering projects that demonstrate exceptional achievement and impact.
As the prime consultant, VHB partnered with NCDOT Division 4 and key stakeholders to deliver planning and design services for U-5996, widening North Old Carriage Road to a multilane corridor, and upgrading its interchange with I-87/US 64. We also prepared the environmental document and preliminary designs for adjacent projects U-5026 and R-5720, which will widen Eastern Avenue/Sunset Avenue through a design-build effort. Our team advanced the roundabout corridor concept and moved the project from preliminary to draft final plans in just eight months through close coordination with NCDOT, local officials, and the public.
Jon Soika, PE, Transportation Design Manager, was especially proud of the team’s ability to meet an aggressive design schedule.
"This project really showcased what we can achieve when we collaborate across teams and disciplines,” said Jon. “Despite the aggressive schedule, we stayed aligned with NCDOT and delivered a design that will significantly improve mobility and support the community’s future growth.”
Together, the U-5996, U-5026, and R-5720 efforts include ten new multilane roundabouts and one single-lane roundabout to improve safety, mobility, and access in the Rocky Mount area. VHB’s role spanned project management, planning, public involvement, natural resources, floodplain modeling, roadway design, work zone traffic control, ITS, and utility design. Improvements along North Old Carriage Road and Eastern Avenue are now open to traffic, with Sunset Avenue and its new I-95 interchange nearing completion.
