Road work continues
Update: Drivers should expect some delays on South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) as the contractor, Asphalt Experts, continues to work on the north side (the right side heading south). Jason Pace, the engineer from Kimley-Horn overseeing the project, said the work this week and next week includes finishing the curb construction and the asphalt, grading the berm for the sidewalk, and pouring concrete for the sidewalk. Traffic will be shifted to the north side of the street after the curb, asphalt and sidewalk are completed to allow the contractor to work on the south side.
Go to www.wakeforestnc.gov/us1a.wideningproject.aspx for updates.
The half-mile stretch, which had been two lanes, is being widened to two travel lanes with a turn lane between as well as four-foot bike lanes on each side. The new street section will have curb and gutter on both sides and a sidewalk on the right side as you travel toward Capital Boulevard. The project should be completed this fall.
Update: Work on the new South Taylor Street is complete except for the striping and will open soon for traffic. The street stretches from East Elm Avenue to Wait Avenue at the existing intersection with another portion of Taylor Street and will provide access to the ground level rear door of the new Wake Forest Town Hall and the front door of the Wake Forest Police Department. To reach the back of the town hall and the police department, drivers can turn down the driveway next to the former planning department building or turn into the old town hall entrance on Elm.
Update: Work continues on the western end of the bypass, the Dr. Calvin Jones Highway, to complete the tie-in to N.C. 98 and Thompson Mill Road. Drivers are cautioned there may be delays. The work should be complete later this summer.
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On June 23 the N.C. Department of Transportation closed all of Jones Dairy Road – from Averette Road to the Dr. Calvin Jones Highway (the N.C. 98 bypass) to all but local traffic. The busy road with several subdivisions and Jones Dairy Elementary School will remain closed until June 15, 2011, or until Atwell Construction Company from Greenville completes construction on two new bridges.
The company will first rebuild the bridge over Austin Creek, the creek nearest the intersection with Chalks Road and the entrance to Bowling Green subdivision, and then move north to rebuild the bridge over Smith Creek.
At the same time as the work at Austin Creek, the town of Wake Forest has contracted with Triangle Paving and Grading to relocate Chalks Road to move its intersection with Jones Dairy Road farther south and meet the Bowling Green entrance. The contract was for $856,057.69, substantially lower than the engineer’s estimate of $1,296,276.05. Wetherill Engineering will provide construction oversight and testing for $95,465.19.
Traffic on Chalks Road will not be disturbed by the relocation. Residents will be able to use Jones Dairy Road to reach Chalks Road and its residences and the Franklin Academy charter school.
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The area is seeing a lot of repaving by state Department of Transportation contractors this spring and summer. Purnell Road, Forestville Road, Ligon Mill Road, Stony Hill Road and New Light Road either have new asphalt or will soon along with redone shoulders.
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Wake Forest Director of Engineering Eric Keravuori said recently the construction of a new middle school near the intersection of Burlington Mills Road and U.S. 401 will necessitate placing a traffic signal at the Burlington Mills and Forestville roads intersection. There will be some significant changes to the intersection as a result with additional turning lanes.
The middle school will be called Rolesville Middle School, and it and a planned Rolesville High School will cause name changes for Wake Forest schools, the Wake County Board of Education has informally agreed.