2028-2037 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
Help Shape North Carolina’s Transportation Future
The N.C. Department of Transportation is developing the next 10-year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). This strategic plan determines which transportation projects will be funded and built across the state.
We’re asking North Carolinians to help prioritize the projects that matter most to their communities. Your input helps projects compete for inclusion in the STIP, alongside others across the state.
About the STIP
NCDOT's long-range transportation plan – called the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – identifies the construction funding and schedule for state transportation projects over a 10-year period. NCDOT updates the STIP approximately every two years.
The Strategic Transportation Investments law mandates ongoing evaluation and improvement to ensure that the process responds to North Carolina's diverse needs. This is accomplished by a prioritization work group consisting primarily of professional engineers and transportation planners.
The data-driven process to update the STIP is called Strategic Prioritization. The current cycle to update the STIP for the years 2028-2037 is called Prioritization 8.0 or P8.0. It started in summer 2025 when NCDOT divisions and local planning organizations gather initial public input on projects, which were then be submitted for evaluation and scoring.
Development Timeline
| Milestone | Dates* |
|---|---|
| Project Submittal Window | Summer 2025 |
| Public Comment on project submittal | Summer 2025 |
| Data scores and Statewide Mobility funded project list released | Spring 2026 |
| Public comment period on Regional Impact projects & release of Regional Impact funded project list | Summer 2026 |
| Public comment on Division Needs projects | Fall/Winter 2026 |
| 2028-2037 Draft STIP release | Early 2027 |
| 2028-2037 Draft STIP comment period | Late winter 2027/Early spring 2027 |
| 2028-2037 STIP adoption by N.C. Board of Transportation | Summer 2027 |
| Federal Highway Administration approval of 2028-2037 STIP | Fall 2027 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The STIP uses a data-driven Prioritization process, established under the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) law. Projects are ranked using performance-based criteria, and evaluated at statewide, regional, and division levels.
Statewide Mobility
Receives 40% of available funding
Selection is 100% data-based
Regional Impact
Receives 30% of funding
Selection is based 70% on data, 30% on local input from MPOs and RPOs
Division Needs
Receives 30% of funding, split equally among NCDOT’s 14 divisions
Selection is based 50% on data, 50% on local rankings
This is the Project Submission Phase.
The purpose of this phase is to show the public what projects are already being considered and provide the opportunity to express support or disagreement, and to suggest additional project needs.
This is the first phase of the STIP development process. Your feedback will guide which transportation projects move forward into scoring and evaluation.
Yes. A phase (e.g., preliminary engineering) may be funded while later phases must compete again in future cycles. Read More