Construction on New Bern's First Street road diet, which originally was scheduled to begin in 10 years, could possibly begin this year.
Construction on New Berns First Street road diet, which originally was scheduled to begin in 10 years, could possibly begin this year. William Kincannon, a project development engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation, told New Bern aldermen Tuesday night the First Street road diet originally was scheduled for right of way acquisition in 2026 with construction beginning in 2027. But the 1-mile project was not that difficult and could begin this year. Jeff Cabaniss, district planning engineer for DOT, said the $800,000 road diet project will transform the current four-lane street into a two-lane street with a center turn lane. It is designed to make travel on First Street safer with fewer conflict points. The new configuration will start at First Streets intersection with Broad Street and transition back into a four-lane at the Lawson Creek Park entrance. Plans also call for bike paths and sidewalks. First Street has a traffic count of about 10,000 vehicles a day, Cabaniss said. DOT recently did a similar road diet project in Washington on a four-lane corridor with a traffic count of 16,000 vehicles a day and it is working well, he said. Some of the concerns aldermen had came from Dallas Blackiston, who asked if the bike lanes were wide enough. Kincannon said they would be 4 feet wide. He also asked if DOT ever had to take a road diet out of a corridor. Kincannon said that happened in Wilmington in a section of street that made it more difficult for motorists to drive off when traveling to the barrier islands. Alderman Bernard White said he was concerned with the drop-off beside the road on the Pembroke side of the overpass and asked if rails could be installed along that section when the sidewalks are installed. Kincannon said they could, adding DOT did that on a project in Greenville. Alderman Jeffrey Odham asked if the project would be sacrificing road width by putting in sidewalks. Kincannon said they would only gain space by taking out a lane. The plans call for three 12-foot lanes and 4-foot bike lanes, he said. Alderman Victor Taylor said the project area was the only area in New Bern with a lot of foot traffic that does not have sidewalks. We need to do something about it and quit talking about it, he said, adding it was really the only unsafe place in New Bern for pedestrians and bicyclists. Alderman E.T. Mitchell agreed saying she almost hit someone on a bike with her vehicle while traveling on the road. Mitchell made a motion to support DOTs plans, seconded by Taylor, and it passed unanimously.
Other projects outlined The other State Transportation Improvement Plans, or STIP, the board supported Tuesday included the southern leg of the N.C. 43 Connector and a roundabout on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and N.C. 55/Neuse Boulevard at Taco Bell. The roundabout concept is somewhat new to North Carolina, Cabaniss said. It is designed for high capacity and low delays. They are also safer than intersections, he said. The approximately $1.7 million roundabout planned for MLK and Neuse boulevards will be much bigger than the one at the end of Broad Street at the intersection with East Front Street. It will be able to accommodate tractor-trailers, Cabaniss said. Mayor Dana Outlaw said one positive point the roundabout provides is it will eliminate two traffic signals. But he was concerned about the ambulances traveling to and from the hospital that use that intersection all the time. Odham said he was concerned with Neuse Boulevard entering the MLK Boulevard at an angle. But Kincannon said there were many configurations that could be used and once the project gets to the design phase the plans will be brought back before the board to consider. Mitchell said she was concerned with ongoing construction work at CarolinaEast Medical Centner and how construction on the roundabout would affect that. Kincannon said traffic flow and access to businesses will be maintained during construction, and DOT would work with everyone who might be impacted by the work. DOT did its first roundabout project in Greenville on Fire Tower Road and it took about 15 months to complete, Kincannon said. Odham asked how the project came about. The New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or MPO, requested the projects, Cabaniss said. Maurizia Chapman, MPO administrator, said Wednesday morning the planning process started two years ago, information on the three projects was sent to the MPOs technical coordinating committee (professional staff) and transportation advisory committee (elected officials that included Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey). It was an open process with public meetings, she said. When it came to the roundabout, Chapman said there were three requests: the MLK and Neuse Boulevard location; the intersection at Broad and Queen streets in Five Points; and the intersection at Pollock and Queen streets, which did not qualify because Pollock Street was not a state-maintained road, Chapman said. Another project that might get moved up from its 2020 construction schedule is the N.C. 43 connector starting from Trent Creek Road at the intersection with U.S. 17 Business near Ben D. Quinn Elementary School. About 1 mile of the project to connect U.S. 17 Business with U.S. 70 was completed last year. The total 2.3-mile project will cost approximately $7.5 million. Our desire is to try to construct it as early as possible, Cabaniss said. But first, the projects will have to go before the state Board of Transportation in June for final approval. Everything is in the preliminary, draft stage, Cabaniss said. DOT is approaching the STIP in a new way by presenting plans to local government councils at the beginning of the planning process instead of waiting a year after consultants have work on them. In the past, projects have been administered out of Raleigh, Cabaniss said Wednesday. Now they are administered locally at the division office so its better we get to meet the councils early and introduce the project.
View original post here:
Aldermen briefed on 'road diet' and other projects - New Bern Sun Journal
