A new redesign to a popular intersection of the “superstreet” improvements scheduled for U.S. Hwy. 64 has raised concerns from some Siler City Town Board members.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is planning to install medians through the stretch of U.S. 64 from the Walmart just east of N.C. 421 westward near the State Employees Credit Union.
A year ago, the NCDOT held two public meetings to gather comments from input from residents.
According to maps, once the median is installed, drivers will no longer be able to drive directly across U.S. 64 except at specific locations; at other locations, drivers will be allowed only to turn left. Drivers will be directed to u-turn “bulb outs” to navigate across the road.
On those intersections, the North Glenn/Perry Avenue and U.S. 64, has drawn concern from Siler City Town Board Commissioner Cindy Bray.
“If I wanted to go to Asheboro, I would have to go down the road and turn around?” Bray asked NCDOT officials during the board’s December 3 meeting.
The turnaround bulb for the intersection has been designed approximately 800 feet east, across from the intersection of Dogwood Avenue and U.S. 64.
“There are a lot of people that live in that neighborhood that are going to be affected by this and are not going to be happy,” Bray said.
The intersection of U.S. 64 and Glenn Avenue is not currently signalized, and it did not fit the criteria to receive traffic signals, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation engineer Matthew Kitchen.
“We are following the systematic process for the whole corridor,” Kitchen said.
“We are going to get a lot of complaints about this turnaround,” Bray said. “And they are going to complain to the commissioners about it. We are the ones that are going to have to hear the complaints.”
Commissioner Michael Constantino agreed, saying, “This is the only way to get out of this neighborhood. The traffic could get piled up if they all are trying to turn out at the same intersection.”
Jeffrey Teague, the project leader for NC DOT Division 8, said that the project balances safety and efficiency and reduces “points of conflict” on the roadway in half.
Conflict points are any points where the paths of two through or turning vehicles diverge, merge, or cross.
Teague also said that the turnaround “bulb” option could actually be quicker for drivers than turning left out of Glenn Avenue.
“Think about the time you spend at Glenn Avenue trying to make a left turn at a busy time of the day,” Teague said. “It will be much more efficient and quicker to go down, make the left and turn around.”
Currently the NCDOT is working to acquire right of way rights throughout 2019. Construction is set to begin on the project in 2020.
Other design modifications include: