At last, the warm and dry weather has finally arrived!  The last few months have been very productive as the return of better weather conditions has allowed us to wrap up several projects that had been hindered by the wet, winter weather.  We are also getting ready to break ground on several new design and construction projects.     

We hope you enjoy our latest newsletter and please forward to others you feel would be interested in specific projects or would just like to stay in tune with the latest street and sidewalk projects in Raleigh!  If this is your first time reading our newsletter, you may subscribe via MyRaleigh Subscriptions (see link in the left sidebar) to keep up with all of our latest projects and initiatives in the Design/Construction Division. 

Chris Johnson, PE
Design/Construction Manager

Leesville Road Widening 

Construction of the Leesville Road Widening project is underway! Utility relocations began in late 2013 and the roadway contractor has started clearing activities just north of I-540.

This project will include the widening of Leesville Road from I-540 to New Leesville Boulvard to a 4-lane median divided roadway.  The project includes bicycle lanes and sidewalk along both sides of the road, landscaping, and new LED street lighting. 

The estimated construction cost is approximately $5.6 million and is fully funded by the City's Capital Improvement Program.  Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed in Fall 2015.  Please see the project web page for further details.

Freedom Drive/ Rhyne Court

Construction will begin this summer on the Freedom Drive/Rhyne Court project.  This project is a street petition project that includes widening approximately 0.60 miles of widening along Freedom Drive to a 41' wide facility with curb and gutter, sidewalk along one side, and storm drainage improvements.   

The project has been awarded to Fred Smith Company at a construction cost of approximately $880,000 and is fully funded by the City's Capital Improvement Program.  Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed in late 2014.

Mitchell Mill Road Widening

This project design had been previously shelved in the final design stage in 2012 due to a lack of construction funding, however, with the passing of the October 2013 Transportation Bond, the Mitchell Mill Road Widening project is now moving forward again. A public meeting was held in May and the Public Hearing is  scheduled for July 1. Right of way acquisition will follow in the fall with construction tentativley schedule to begin in 2015 and completed in fall 2016.

This project includes widening Mitchell Mill Road between Louisburg Road and Forestville Road to a four-lane median-divided curb and gutter facility with sidewalks, striped bike lanes, and streetlights on both sides. Also included in this project are turn-lane improvements and culvert replacement at the intersection of Mitchell Mill Road and Forestville Road, new traffic signal at Single Leaf Lane and new water main installation to connect existing sections currently installed along the corridor. 

For further information, please refer to the project web page for further details, schedule, and other information related to the project.

Sanderford Road Widening

Construction was delayed by the extensive wet winter, but all paving work is finished and construction is nearing completion along Sanderford Road between Griffin Circle and Elk Park Drive.  This project included road widening, curb and gutter, and sidewalk along the east side of Sanderford Road, 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. 

Oak Forest Drive

The Oak Forest Drive roadway project also experienced delays from the wet weather, but paving work is nearing completion and sidewalk installation is in progress.  This project is located between Fox Road and Triangle Oaks Drive, which was constructed as part of a public/private joint venture project.  This adds the easternmost section of Oak Forest Drive, which is a 2-lane undivided Avenue on the City of Raleigh Proposed Street Plan.  

The new roadway is 41' wide with 5' sidewalks on both sides. A 12" waterline was also  installed as part of the project.  Construction was funded 50% by the City of Raleigh and 50% by The Villages at Town Center, LLC.

Hillsborough Street  Revitalization Project,     Phase 2

Preliminary designs are underway and a public meeting was held in March to provide citizens the opportunity to review and comment on the project design. A second public meeting is tentatively scheduled for later this summer.

Hillsborough Street, Phase 2 was funded for design in the 2013 Capital Improvement Program.  With the passing of the recent October transportation bond, the project is now also funded for right of way acquisition and construction, which will expedite the construction schedule by several years.  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 northwest 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.  The City is also implementing a public art component into the project.

Be sure to check out the project web page and the recently launched facebook page for further details, project updates, schedules, and other information related to the project.

Buck Jones Road Widening

The design of the Buck Jones Road widening project was approved by City Council at their October 1, 2013 meeting and authorization was given to begin the right of way acquisition phase of the project.  Buck Jones Road will be widened from Farm Gate Road and Xebec Way to a 3-lane undivided Avenue.

The project will include two proposed roundabouts at Farm Gate Road and Bashford Road, as well as a center turn lane for adequate turning traffic storage at the remaining intersections along the project. The widened roadway will include marked bicycle lanes, curbs, gutters, landscaping, and new streetlights. Additionally, sidewalks will be provided on both sides of Buck Jones Road from Farm Gate Road to Xebec Way and transit stops will be upgraded to include marked crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands at mid-block crossings.

The project is currently in the right of way acquisition phase and is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in late 2014 and is fully funded within the City's Capital Improvement Program. Be sure to check out the  project web page for further details, project schedule, and other information.

Sandy Forks Road Widening

Two public meetings were held in April and May to give citizens a chance to review and comment on the project design.  Sandy Forks Road is a 2-lane divided Avenue in the City of Raleigh's Proposed Street Plan.  This project was also recently approved on February 18, 2014 to become the City's first pilot project in the Greenroads program, which is a sustainability rating system for transportation projects.

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.  The project also includes water quantity/quality measures to reduce impacts of stormwater runoff to adjacent properties along the corridor.

Be sure to check out the project web page for further details, project schedule, and other information as the project moves forward.  A Public Hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2014.  Right of way acquisition will occur this fall with construction beginning in Spring 2015 and completion in Fall 2016.

Lenoir Street/South Street Two-Way Conversion

The 2nd public meeting was held in May to provide citizens the opportunity to review and comment on the project design. 

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.  

A public meeting was held on November 4 to receive comments on the 25% design plans.  A second public meeting is tentatively scheduled later this month to go over any changes to the design in response to the 1st public meeting.  Construction is scheduled to begin in Fall 2014 and be completed in Fall 2015.

With the passing of the two transportation bonds in 2011 and 2013, there has been a large influx of funding to support pedestrian improvement projects around the City.  The Design/Construction Division is currently working on design of over 25 sidewalk projects, some funded locally and some through shared grant funding through CAMPO.

Some of the major pedestrian projects currently under development include Capital Boulevard, Six Forks Road, Millbrook Road, New Hope Road, Wade Avenue, Wake Forest Road, Spring Forest Road, Raleigh Boulevard, Green Road, and New Hope Church Road.  These projects will increase inter-connectivity of sidewalks and walkability for the citizens of Raleigh, as well as update existing corridors to comply with updated ADA guildelines related to accessibility for handicapped and/or visually impaired.

Please see the sidewalks web page for more information on all of our current sidewalk projects.

Traffic calming projects are funded by the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP).  Major traffic calming projects are those projects that require more intensive measures than simply speedbumps to promote a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicular traffic within the City's neighborhood streets.  This may include installation of curb bump outs, raised medians, mini-roundabouts, channelized intersections, chicanes, or other measures to create an atmospere that is less conducive to speeding traffic.  Many of these measures also create safer accommodations for pedestrian crossings at intersections or mid-block crossings.

The major traffic calming projects currently under design include Brookside Drive, Kaplan Drive, Glascock Street, and Milburnie Drive.  Brookside Drive is anticipated to begin construction in summer 2014 and be completed by the end of this year. 

Please refer to the streets web page for further details on our current traffic calming projects.  If you wish to see how you can petition for traffic calming improvements in your neighborhood, please refer to the traffic calming program web page for further details.

Cordis Thompson

Project Engineer II 

Cordis is a Project Engineer in the Roadway Program of Public Work’s Design/Construction Division.  She is responsible for the design and construction of roadway and sidewalk projects.

She began her career with the City of Raleigh in 2008.  More than half of her engineering career has been in public service with the Texas Highway Department, the City of Austin, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.   

Cordis manages consultant-designed projects as well as managing roadway design projects in-house.  Some of her current  and past projects include Buck Jones Road Widening, Brookside Drive and Glascock Street Traffic Calming, Perry Creek Road Widening, and Sanderford Road Widening.

Cordis enjoys spending time with husband, Charles, son, Marc and daughter, Amaya.  She serves various ministries in her church, and her favorite “me-time” activity is her book club.  She enjoys exploring East Coast beaches, reading interior design books, and “antiquing”.

Leigh Winslow

Survey Crew Chief

Graham Leigh Winslow is originally from a small community just outside of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Leigh served in the United States Army for 14 years, with two tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, before uniting with the Survey Group, Design & Construction Division in 2013, as a Crew Chief.

Leigh is married, with three beautiful daughters and resides in Franklin County. He appreciates most anything outdoors and in particular enjoys hunting, fishing, competitive mini-tractor pulling, and grilling mouthwatering barbeque for pig pickin’s.