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CLEMMONS — After being ranked among the top highway projects for the 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program Development Plan this summer, Clemmons has claimed a spot in what is called the “Fabulous 15” in the latest update provided by the Winston-Salem Urban Transportation Advisory Committee.

Council member Bradley Taylor, who serves as the village’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) representative, broke the news in Monday night’s Village Council meeting that the U.S. 158 partial widening and partial road diet with sidewalks and bike lanes that extends from Lewisville-Clemmons Road to the Bermuda Run roundabout received 100 points proposed out of a possible 100.

“On behalf of the Village of Clemmons, I am very excited to see our U.S. 158 project, H230557, as one of the top 15 projects out of 72 for Prioritization 7.0,” Taylor said of the list of local point assignment methodology. “This continues to keep us hopeful this project will move forward to be considered, funded and one day become reality. While the Prioritization does not guarantee funding, we continue to remain faithful for the future.”

In addition to Clemmons, Bermuda Run’s project H184620, which would widen N.C. 801 to a multi-lane roadway from Oak Valley Boulevard to U.S. 158 with bike lanes and sidewalks, also made the Fabulous 15 list with 100 points out of 100.

The Clemmons project has an estimated cost to NCDOT of $24.1 million. The Bermuda Run project comes in with a price tag of $49.8 million.

“Out of the 72 projects that the Winston-Salem Urban Area MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) considered, they could allocate a limited pool of points to certain projects,” Taylor said. “And so they did through a process where TAC representatives, also on behalf of their municipalities, provide their points so part of that the final scoring and application of that resulted in a draft recommendation of those 1,400 points across what they’re calling the Fabulous 15.”

Taylor said that there are three categories where there are high-scoring projects in each transportation mode, and then there’s the next highest scoring in the MPO criteria, which is where the TAC member points were awarded.

“Currently, we are in a public phase for public comments where anyone can comment on any of these projects,” Taylor said. “As the process continues, I’ll keep everyone posted.”

In a business item from Monday night’s meeting, the council gave a required second approval to a Clemmons Code of Ordinances Amendment for Chapter 96 – Air Quality Control (Open Burning), which was approved by the council in the previous meeting on Sept. 23.

“The ordinance describes the process and the reasons for applying for an open burn permit, which they can get from the Fire Marshal’s office,” Amy Flyte, assistant village manager, said in that meeting.

Flyte said that the ordinance creates a penalty of a fine of $500 and a Class 3 misdemeanor, and because of that, it required a second reading and approval.

In other business items, a pair of cost share stormwater projects were approved by the council.

The first was at 3604 Forsythia Trail for a draining project where the estimated cost was $52,700 and the village had already contributed $5,250 from the allowable $10,000 for the first half of the project with the homeowner paying the remaining $47,950 to the village of the awarded bid amount provided by Fleming Land Management.

The second was at 3711 Stancliff Road for a draining project where the estimated cost was $8,500, and with the total cost not exceeding $10,000, the village agreed to pay $4,250 with the homeowners paying $4,250 to the village of the awarded bid amount provided by LJB Engineering.

In the manager’s report, Mike Gunnell said that the village recently accepted both streets in the Magnolia Park development along with Spitfire Lane, which is in the second phase of Lauren Acres.

In council comments, Mayor Mike Rogers said he wanted to thank first responders, including the Clemmons Fire Department and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, in helping with the recovery efforts in western North Carolina due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.