DOT to survey cemetery as part of Military Cutoff project

The state is surveying the area of Mt. Ararat A.M.E. Church at 7061 Market Street, a historically black church on Market Street, to check for marked and unmarked graves.

As part of the planned Military Cutoff Road extension project, the cemetery of an old historic church in Ogden will be scanned for marked and unmarked graves.

Jack Provost, division construction engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation, said the goal of the project is to not move any graves at Mt. Ararat A.M.E. Church, 7061 Market St.

"We knew we'd have an impact on the church," Provost said. "We do not know the extent of graves being removed or not."

The addition of a right turn lane from Market Street onto a planned new road has always been part of the extension schematic. The roughly 2 1/2-mile extension project, which could have a price tag pushing $113 million when all costs are factored in, would connect Market Street, where Military Cutoff currently terminates, to U.S. 17, also known as the Wilmington Bypass.

The slightest chance graves may need to be relocated, however, is something that's recently been getting some negative feedback.

New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield said during a recent Wilmington-area transportation meeting that he has concerns DOT would even considering disinterring graves there.

"Why unearth remains for a project?" Barfield said.

State transportation officials met with church members several weeks ago to discuss the project, but county and city officials were not notified, Barfield said.

"I have a problem with not knowing about DOT even looking for the graves," said Barfield, who has family members buried there.

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DOT to survey cemetery as part of Military Cutoff project