By By LINDA MEDLIN
Special to the Daily News
BELHAVEN — During its meeting Monday, the Town Council approved a resolution supporting a sidewalk project along the U.S. Highway 264 bypass from N.C. Highway 99 to the Food Lion shopping center.
Several years ago, the N.C. Department of Transportation was asked to build the sidewalk, but funding for the project was not available. Recently, DOT indicated funding for the project had been secured.
The town sought the sidewalk for safety reasons, citing the heavy truck traffic on that stretch of the bypass that posed a threat to pedestrian traffic and other vehicular traffic.
DOT estimates the sidewalk will cost $76,000, with the town contributing from $15,000 to $20,000 toward the project.
Work on the project is expected to begin within several months.
Town Manager Guinn Leverette informed the council that the Wynne’s Gut improvement project is on hold for approximately 30 days. The delay is need to allow Hood Richardson, project engineer, time to submit project changes as part of the effort to obtain Coastal Area Management Act permits needed for the project.
Wynne’s Gut runs from Main Street toward Pantego Creek. The project, which calls for creating a public park, includes the following improvements: docks for transient boater, a dingy dock, kayak-launching area, public picnic area and a boardwalk.
In other business, Russell Johnson, a historian, talked about the contributions of Belhaven’s veterans contributions in past wars and conflicts. Johnson is a World War II veteran who received the Purple Heart.