How quickly the summer passes by when we are having fun!  The Design/Construction Division team has been hard at work this summer as several projects are well into construction, some are just breaking ground, and many more have been approved by City Council to begin design.  This newsletter edition brings you updates to a few projects covered in our June newsletter, as well as several more projects that have recently started the design or construction stages. 

We hope you enjoy this newsletter and continue to subscribe via MyRaleigh Subscriptions so you may continue to keep in tune with all of our latest projects and initiatives related to the Design/Construction Division. 

Chris Johnson, PE

Design/Construction Manager

Lake Wheeler Road Pedestrian Improvements

Construction is substantially complete along Lake Wheeler Road, which included improvements to the corridor between Raleigh Oaks Shopping Center and Centennial Parkway.

This project added pedestrian improvements along the west side of Lake Wheeler Road, including new asphalt path in shoulder/swale areas and concrete sidewalk in curb and gutter areas.  There were also intersection improvements at Sierra Drive and Carolina Pines Avenue to install left turn lanes.  The 13’ wide outside travel lanes were also setup to eventually accommodate future use of shared bicycle lanes on the future road corridor. 

These turn lane improvements will help to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle conflict points along the roadway corridor, reduce rear end collisions and provide left turning traffic into the adjoining neighborhoods a "safe haven" while allowing through traffic to continue through the intersection without delay due to left turning traffic.  It will also assist in reducing bottlenecks along the corridor, especially during AM and PM peak traffic, improving safety to both motorists and pedestrians by increasing traffic gaps and improving sight distance at intersections.

Sanderford Road

Construction is underway for the Sanderford Road Paving project from Griffin Circle to Elk Park Drive.  This project includes road widening, curb and gutter, and sidewalk along the east side of the roadway, as well as resurfacing the existing roadway. 

The awarded cost of construction was approximately $545,000 and was a petition project funded by the City's Capital Improvement Program.  The project should be completed in Fall 2013.

Marvino Lane

Construction started in the spring on the Marvino Lane project, which includes the extension of Marvino Lane from Billingsworth Way to Glenwood Avenue.  The project consists of a 36' curb and gutter roadway with sidewalk along one side.  The project also includes widening along westbound US 70 (Glenwood Avenue) between Marvino Lane and Country Trail to provide an additional travel lane, curb and gutter, and sidewalk. 

The awarded cost of construction for this project was $875,000 and was a public/private joint venture project built in conjunction with the adjacent multi-family housing development.  The project should be completed in Fall 2013. 

Oak Forest Drive

Oak Forest Drive is a collector street on the City of Raleigh Thoroughfare and Collector Street Plan.  An eastern section of Oak Forest Drive will be constructed as part of a public/private joint venture project. 

The new roadway will be 41' back of curb to back of curb with 5' sidewalks on both sides from Fox Road to Triangle Oaks Drive. A 12" waterline will also be installed as part of the project. 

The project was recently approved by City Council and construction is expected to begin in early October and be completed by the end of 2013.  Construction will be funded 50% by the City of Raleigh and 50% by The Villages at Town Center, LLC.

Creedmoor Road Sidewalks

Construction is approximately half way complete on the Creedmoor Road Sidewalks project, which includes the installation of new sidewalks along both sides of Creedmoor Road between Glenwood Avenue and Strickland Road. 

The project will include installation or realignment of ramps for new crosswalk locations, upgrades to non-ADA compliant ramps (adding truncated domes), installation of pedestrian refuges with existing and/or proposed islands at key locations, and setup for future pedestrian signalization modifications by the City’s Transportation Operations division.

The project is funded 80% by a federal STP-DA grant and 20% by the City of Raleigh’s Capital Improvement Program.  The project should be completed in Fall 2013. 

Hillsborough Street, Phase 2

The second phase of the Hillsborough Street improvements was approved to begin the design phase of the project by City Council at their June 18, 2013 meeting. 

Hillsborough Street is a minor thoroughfare roadway in the City of Raleigh's Comprehensive Transportation Plan and was funded in the 2013 Capital Improvement Program. The project will improve the usability of the corridor by using a “complete streets” design approach to provide better access for traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. In the end, this will provide a fully functional multi-modal corridor, improve safety for motorists and pedestrians, and provide a sustainable solution along this important business district and the northern perimeter of the NC State University campus.

This project will modify Hillsborough Street from the existing configuration of a multi-lane undivided roadway section to a 2-lane divided roadway with raised median from Gardner Street to Rosemary & Shepherd Streets. The project objective is to prepare and implement a streetscape plan to address needed improvements within the street right-of-way including sidewalk repair/replacement, traffic circles, street trees between the curb and sidewalk and overhead utility consolidation/cleanup while promoting Complete Street design standards.

Be sure to check out the new project web page for further details, project schedule, and other information as the project moves forward.

Sandy Forks Road Widening

Sandy Forks Road, a minor thoroughfare roadway in the City of Raleigh's Comprehensive Transportation Plan, was approved by City Council at the June 18, 2013 meeting to begin the design phase of the project, which was funded in the 2013 Capital Improvement Program. 

This project will include the widening and rehabilitation of Sandy Forks Road between Six Forks Road and Falls of Neuse Road, including installation of bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. The project will improve traffic capacity and congestion, pedestrian connectivity, safety, and provide a multi-modal solution between the residential and retail / business districts at each end of the corridor while promoting Complete Street design standards.

Be sure to check out the new project web page for further details, project schedule, and other information as the project moves forward.

Lenoir Street/South Street Two-Way Conversion

The Lenoir Street/South Street Two Way Conversion Project was approved to begin the design phase of the proejct by City Council at their April 16, 2013 meeting.

Lenoir Street and South Street are two minor thoroughfare roadways in the City of Raleigh's Comprehensive Transportation Plan.  The project was funded in the 2013 Capital Improvement Program and will convert the remaining sections of these two roadways from their existing one-way configuration to two-way traffic.  The project also includes water/sewer replacements, storm drainage, traffic signal upgrades, and improved facilities for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit.  

Sylvester Percival, EI

Project Engineer II

Sylvester is a Project Engineer II in the Roadway Group of the Public Works’ Design/Construction Division.  Sylvester is responsible for design and construction management of roadway and sidewalk projects within the Design/Construction Division. 

Sylvester has been with the City for over 15 years, 14.5 years of which has been with the Design/Construction Division.  Sylvester's latest projects included the recently completed Falls of Neuse Road Widening.  He is also currently managing the Lake Wheeler Road Pedestrian Improvements project and will begin work on the upcoming Sandy Forks Road Widening design project. 

In his spare time, Sylvester enjoys spending quality time with his kids.  He has an ever growing passion for classic western movies. 

Tyler Ware, PLS

Survey Technician           

Crew Chief 

Tyler is a North Carolina Professional Licensed Land Surveyor with experience in field work, drafting, and research involving numerous surveys over the past 7 years.  Tyler has led work on topographic, as-built, boundary, route, construction, and subdivision design surveys, performing both field calculations/adjustments and office support for crews. 

Tyler has been with the City since 2012 and was recently promoted to his current position.  His duties include the production of finished maps, research and calculation to restore property corners, and the setup of roadway construction project stakeout.  Tyler's most recent projects include right of way acquisition on Horse Shoe Farm Rd. and construction staking for Sanderford Rd, Greyson St., and Creedmoor Rd. 

In his time off Tyler enjoys woodworking and is a watersports and snowboarding enthusiast.