North Carolina's highway funding leaves rural regions struggling behind cities
North Carolina's federal highway funding has heavily favoured major cities like Raleigh and Charlotte over the past decade. These metropolitan areas have received nearly half of all state allocations, while faster-growing regions in the east and west struggle with underfunded roads. Lawmakers are now calling for changes to address the imbalance as population growth strains local infrastructure.
Between 2016 and 2026, federal highway funds distributed through programmes like the National Highway Performance Program have largely gone to urban centres. Data from the Federal Highway Administration and NCDOT shows that Raleigh and Charlotte, with their higher traffic and population density, secured 45–50% of annual funding. Meanwhile, western areas such as Asheville and the mountains, despite seeing 20–25% population growth, received just 10–15% of allocations.
Rep. Marita Cervania has highlighted the need for fairer distribution, arguing that transportation funding must serve the entire state, not just its biggest cities. Rep. John Torbett has proposed a detailed study to evaluate how recent growth has shifted infrastructure demands across North Carolina. Eastern North Carolina faces similar challenges. Rep. Phil Shepard described the region as 'busting at the seams' due to rising populations, while Rep. Zach Hawkins pointed to East Durham's rapid residential expansion as proof of unmet road needs. Current funding criteria, however, do not fully account for these growing areas, leaving many projects unfunded despite clear demand.
The state's road funding system currently prioritises established urban hubs, but lawmakers are pushing for reform. With more transportation projects needed than available funds, rapidly expanding regions in the east and west continue to lag behind. A proposed study could help rebalance allocations to match North Carolina's changing population and infrastructure needs.
