Fort Bragg Leaders Debating Future Of Bragg Boulevard

Thousands of cars travel Bragg Boulevard every day. Now, Fort Bragg wants to limit who can drive the boulevard in the area that cuts through post.

On Wednesday, a Transportation Advisory Committee heard Fort Bragg's Force Protection plan. Part of the proposal calls for widening Murchison Road to accommodate diverted traffic from Bragg Boulevard.

To make the plan work, the state would need to accelerate construction of a section of the Outer Loop that would connect the two roads. The city supports the need to enhance security on post, but it has some concerns.

"The people who want to go from Fayetteville to Spring Lake and northern parts as well, we want to be as congestion-free as we can and have access to our businesses and stuff in the city of Fayetteville," Mayor Marshall Pitts said.

Steven Lury, owner of Stereo World and Furniture World, is worried. His store has been on Bragg Boulevard for 30 years. The bypass would be just north of his business.

"Fayetteville folks aren't going to make the effort if they can't get out to post. They won't come to Bragg Boulevard," he said.

Fort Bragg leaders say they want to work with businesses and are willing to tweek the plan so businesses will not be left out of the loop.

"It's going to take a lot of dialogue, a lot of compromise and a lot of support from the community. We understand this is not just a Fort Bragg issue, it's a community issue," said Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. Tad Davis.

If the plan is approved, implementing it is still at least five years down the road.