The Strategic Highway Corridors initiative represents a new approach to long-range transportation planning in North Carolina. The highway system is viewed from a broader perspective independent of municipal and traditional boundaries, with a greater emphasis on connectivity, goods movement, destination, and the function of a facility. As with any new planning initiative, the process started with building a consistent set of definitions, terms, and selection criteria, which included coordination in NCDOT, and with federal and state agencies. Quantifiable and subjective criteria were developed and applied to distinguish the nature of a "strategic" corridor within the current highway system. Quantifiable criteria include current and future traffic volumes, route classification, and truck traffic percentages. Subjective criteria include a corridor's role and function, its significance to a regional area, and/or its historical role in national and/or statewide movement.

The selection criterion was established early in the developmental phase of this initiative. The Department used a data-driven approach and supplemented the analysis with historical information and input from other agencies and the public. Initially the criteria centered on identifying facilities below the Interstate system that exemplified the potential to serve vehicular travel in a high-speed manner. This emphasis on mobility was enhanced by also considering connectivity in the system. The term " Activity Center " was introduced to define destinations, encompassing statewide, regional, and places just outside of North Carolina's borders that serve the state's citizens. The original approach utilized criteria to distinguish and organize corridors and activity centers into a two-tier structure, c omprising statewide and regional tiers. However, over time and with public input, each selected corridor was simply referred to as strategic, without regard to size or scale. Additionally, NCDOT staff and BOT member participation have also contributed to refining the corridor selection process.

The selection of the corridors is characterized by one or more of the following primary criteria:

• Mobility. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor currently serves or has the potential to expeditiously move large volumes of traffic. These include facilities that are vital to the State's and/or region's interest and serves long-distance and/or regional travel, whose users may be long haul trucks, tourists, and motorists passing through a region.
• Connectivity. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor provides a vital connection between Activity Centers.

• Interstate Connectivity. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor provides an important connection between existing and/or planned interstates. Interstates, as routes of national significance, primarily move people, goods, and military units between states and across the country.
• Interstate Reliever. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor currently serves or has the potential to serve as a reliever route to an existing interstate facility. A reliever route is considered to be an alternate facility (typically running parallel to the facility for a long-distance) to the interstate(s). Facilities that relieve interstates for short distances or are used as alternates in the event of an incident or construction are not considered Interstate relievers.

• Hurricane Evacuation Route. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor is considered a major route from the NC Emergency Management's Coastal Evacuation Route Map.

  View the NCDOT Hurricane Evacuation Study Report (11.8 MB)

• Cited in a Prominent Report. Certain reports list the need for improvements along major corridors in the State, mainly to improve economic conditions in a particular area. One such report is the Rural Prosperity Task Force Report (8.5 MB), completed in 2000, which supports improvements for three prominent corridors in rural North Carolina.
• Part of Major Highway System. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor is part of a national, statewide, economic, or military highway system. Major highway systems include the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, the National Highway System, the North Carolina Intrastate System, the Appalachian Development Highway System, and the STRAHNET. STRAHNET is the Department of Defense's Strategic Highway Network for moving military personnel and equipment.