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Hicks Grove Road Ribbon Cutting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2013

Contact: Communications Office, (919) 707-2660

Hicks Grove Rd Ribbon Cutting  

State, Local Leaders Celebrate Transportation Investments for New Horsehead Corporation Plant in Rutherford County

RALEIGH – Officials from the N.C. Department of Transportation joined state and local leaders today in Rutherford County to cut the ribbon on the Hicks Grove Road project, which will provide access into the Horsehead Corporation’s new zinc and diversified metals production facility near Forest City.

“This project is a great example of our efforts to better leverage our transportation infrastructure to create jobs and support economic development,” said David Brown, the NCDOT Board Member representing Division 13, which includes Rutherford County.

The Horsehead plant represents one of the largest recent corporate investment projects in North Carolina. The plant is expected to create 250 new jobs in an economically depressed area, and is scheduled to begin operations this fall.

The $4 million project was opened to traffic on June 12. It involved closing and relocating Hicks Grove Road to provide a new half-mile long access road from U.S. 221 into the new facility. A new, wider bridge was also constructed over CSX Railroad that will be able to better accommodate heavier vehicles accessing the new plant.

Funding for the project came from NCDOT, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Golden Leaf Foundation and Horsehead Corporation.

NCDOT was responsible for the project planning, while the project was designed by Vaughn and Melton Consulting Engineers and constructed by Devere Construction Co.

Learn more about the Horsehead Corporation’s investment in Rutherford County here.  

***NCDOT***

Julia Casadonte
Communications Officer
North Carolina Department of Transportation
(919) 707-2675
jccasadonte@ncdot.gov