Stanly County Board Removes Proposed Bypass and Highway Expansion

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners voted to remove a proposed Albemarle bypass and a highway expansion through Norwood from the county’s long-term transportation plan. This decision followed public opposition from local agricultural workers and property owners concerned about the loss of working farmland. The proposed bypass route would have cut directly through active farm properties along Hatley Farms Road.

The vote adjusts the county’s transportation plan to protect local agricultural operations from potential future right-of-way acquisitions. The decision shifts the focus away from new bypass construction toward improving existing road infrastructure, such as widening 73.