BRADENTON, Fla. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation named Clayton Somers as the new executive director of the Turnpike Authority.
Somers was most recently general counsel overseeing operations for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
"Somers has a strong and diverse leadership background in business and law," the NCDOT said in a release. "His proven experience in administrative operations including policy, human resources, and legal will help drive the strategic and innovative funding options of NCTA to help address increasing congestion issues and funding challenges."
His prior work experience includes being executive vice president and general counsel for Wasserman Media Group. He is a member of the bar associations in North Carolina, California, and New York.
Somers received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree from Wake Forest University.
The NCTA had $1.2 billion of outstanding revenue bonds and $372.88 million outstanding in a low-interest loan through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program as of June 30.
In January 2013, the authority completed the state's first modern toll road, the 18.8-mile Triangle Expressway extending a partial loop around the greater Raleigh area. A 30-mile project to complete the loop is being studied.
Federal approval for the 19.7-mile Monroe Bypass toll project was rescinded in May 2012 after environmentalists litigated the project. Work was suspended to prepare additional documentation, and federal approval is anticipated early this year, according to NCTA's 2013 comprehensive annual financial report.
In 2013, the Legislature passed the Strategic Mobility Formula to prioritize projects and rescinded previous annual appropriations for the Mid-Currituck Bridge and Garden Parkway projects, which had not begun construction.
Though a public-private partnership is contemplated for Mid-Currituck its funding is being reevaluated, and the federal approval for the Garden Parkway toll road is being challenged in court.
