Permanent Road Closure Scheduled In Fayetteville Amid Outer Loop Construction

If you drive around the western part of Fayetteville often, your commute is about to look a bit different. A permanent road closure is scheduled soon for a highway interchange on Strickland Bridge Road.

Earlier this week the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced that the portion of Strickland Bridge Road between Stoney Point Road and Century Circle will be permanently closed on September 4. Once this portion of roadway is closed, residents living on Weathergreen and Leland Drives will have to take a right onto Strickland Bridge Road.

Luckily this shouldn't affect travel times too greatly. According to DriveNC.gov, drivers will still be able to use adjacent streets like Century Circle and Stoney Point as slight detours to get around the construction.

The stretch of Strickland Bridge Road is being removed to make way for Interstate 295, otherwise known as the Fayetteville Outer Loop. The outer loop has been in the works since the early 2000s, with different segments of the interstate corridor being completed every few years.

Luckily, the closure of Strickland Bridge Road signals the homestretch for the massive project. Construction of the final segment of the interstate is expected to be finished by spring of 2026, at which point the entire 39-mile Outer Loop corridor will be completely open to the public.

Completion of this corridor will create a connection for I-95 in northern Cumberland County and I-95 in Robeson County just below the Cumberland County line.

Visit the Projects page of NCDOT.gov For more information and updates on the Fayetteville Outer Loop's construction.

U.S. News & World Report has released their new Best Places to Live rankings for 2024-2025, and the Tar Heel state got some major love! In a list of 150 major cities, two North Carolina cities were ranked among the top 10 best places to live in the US.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the ranking was compiled using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor, and some of the publication's own internal resources. The data was then sorted into four different categories by which each major city would be scored.

The categories were assigned different weights depending on how strongly Americans felt each factor mattered when choosing a place to live. The four categories in order of weight are as follows:

According to the official rankings, Charlotte and Raleigh are the two best places to live in North Carolina. The two cities made it to #5 and #6 respectively.

Charlotte scored extremely well overall, with the Queen City's quality of life and economic value placing it among the top places in the country to live. Charlotte was also commended for its sprawling metro area and bustling downtown scene, while still maintaining its southern charm.

Raleigh ranked almost neck-and-neck with Charlotte, with North Carolina's capital scoring highly in the Quality of Life category. The publication highlights Raleigh's bustling art and music scenes, as well as its beautiful green spaces and activity space. The city of Raleigh also received high marks for its strong sense of community among the residents.

The full rankings (seen here) reveals some interesting information about other major cities in the US, including other cities in North Carolina. Here are some of the key takeaways.

Ranked #1 overall, Naples, Florida was determined to be the best city to live in the US. The city scored highly for its overall quality of life, especially among retirees who desire a pristine beachfront view in their twilight years.

It's certainly a surprising #2, but Boise, Idaho has much to offer for outdoorsy types. Boise offers a plethora of different terrains for adventurers, including mountain ranges, canyons, deserts and lakes.

Colorado Springs, Colorado was ranked as the #3 best place to live for its blend of natural beauty and rustic modernism. Despite its endless array of events and activities, Colorado Springs maintains a small town charm that residents find intoxicating.

North Carolina's sister state did just a hair better in the ranking, with the South Carolina city of Greenville landing at #4 in the overall ranking. Greenville's downtown area is a central hub for local businesses, bars, restaurants and boutiques. The city is also quite lively during the summer season.

- Asheville (#17)

-Greensboro (#23) 

-Hickory (#26)

-Winston-Salem (#60)

-Fayetteville (#113)