As the summer winds down and temperatures begin to cool we are continuing to make progress on several construction projects, most notably our Leesville Road widening project in North Raleigh and Freedom Drive/Rhyne Court in eastern Raleigh.  We are also getting design of several street and sidewalk projects wrapped up for what is gearing up to be a very busy construction schedule next spring.       

Please see below for our current projects and please forward to others you feel would be interested in any specific projects or would just like to stay current on the latest transportation projects in Raleigh!  If this is your first time reading our quarterly 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, LEED AP, STP
Design/Construction Manager

Leesville Road Widening 

Construction of the Leesville Road Widening project is approximately 25% complete!  Clearing work is nearing completion and the contractor is now working on grading, water and storm drainage installation, and traffic signal modifications.  Asphalt has already been poured along a portion of the new northbound lanes between I-540 and Norwood Road and the contractor will continue working on the northbound side of the corridor over the next several months before moving into the next phase to concentrate on widening of the southbound lanes. 

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 has started on the Freedom Drive/Rhyne Court project.  Clearing work is ongoing as well as installation of storm drainage and utilities.  This project is a street petition project that includes widening approximately 0.60 miles along Freedom Drive to a 41' wide facility with curb and gutter, sidewalk along one side, and storm drainage improvements.   

The project budget for construction is approximately $880,000 and is fully funded by the City's Capital Improvement Program.  Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed in late 2014.

Sanderford Road Widening

Construction was completed in the spring on 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 new sidewalk also provides pedestrian connectivity to the Sanderford Road Park and community center.

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 was also completed in spring 2014.  This project extended Oak Forest Road between Fox Road and Triangle Oaks Drive, which was constructed as part of a public/private joint venture project. 

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

The project design is approximately 60% complete and the 2nd public meeting is being held later this month to provide citizens the opportunity to review and comment on the latest project design. This meeting will also give the public the opportunity to review and provide recommendations on the public art component currently under design for the project.

This project will modify Hillsborough Street from the existing configuration of a multi-lane undivided roadway section to a two lane road with a raised median, marked bike lanes and on-street parking where feasible, from Gardner Street to the Rosemary Street / Shepherd Street intersection.  There are proposed roundabouts at Brooks Avenue, Dixie Trail and Rosemary/Shepherd Streets to replace the three previous traffic signals, which will accommodate left turning traffic and ease congestion along the corridor.  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.   

Refer to the project web page  for updates and schedule information, as well as check out the project facebook page, which includes more details related to the project.

Buck Jones Road Widening

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

The project includes widening of Buck Jones Road from its existing 2-lane section to a 3-lane undivided roadway.  The extra center turn lane will provide adequate turning traffic storage at driveways and intersections along the corridor.  The widened roadway will also include marked bicycle lanes, curb and gutter and sidewalks, landscaping, and new streetlights. Additionally, the Farm Gate Road and Bashford Road intersections will be replaced with new single lane roundabouts to improve traffic circulation and safety.  Overhead utilities are being consolidated and transit stops upgraded to include marked crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands.

The project is currently in the right of way acquisition phase and is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in spring 2015.  The project  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

City Council approved the Sandy Forks Road project design at the July 15 City Council meeting.  Right of way acquisition along the corridor will now begin while the plans are finalized for permitting and bidding out to a contractor.  Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in late Spring 2015 and completion in Fall 2016.

Sandy Forks Road is a 2-lane divided Avenue in the City of Raleigh's Proposed Street Plan.  This project was also previously approved to become the City's first pilot project in the Greenroads program, which is a sustainability rating system for transportation projects.  The 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 stormwater management measures to reduce impacts of 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. 

Lenoir Street/South Street Two-Way Conversion

City Council approved the project design at their June 17 meeting and the project is currently in the right of way acquisition phase.  Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring 2015. 

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.  

Mitchell Mill Road Widening

Another public meeting is scheduled for later this month following changes to the intersection designs at Neuse Crossing Drive and Single Leaf Lane in response to public comments at the May public meeting.  A public hearing is also scheduled for November to obtain approval by City Council to approve the project design and begin the right of way acquisition phase of the project.  Construction is tentativley scheduled to begin in early 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, 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.

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, Poole Road, Raleigh Boulevard, Green Road, Blue Ridge 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.

I-40 Bridges Pedestrian Retrofit Project

The City of Raleigh is proposing pedestrian retrofit improvements along the I-40 bridge overpasses at Buck Jones Rd, Avent Ferry Rd, and Rock Quarry Road. The three projects will add bicycle lanes, extend sidewalks, and make additional roadway and bridge improvements to accommodate sidewalk connectivity along both the north and south sides of each bridge location. City Council approved the project designs at the August 5 Council meeting and staff is working to finalize the projects for bidding out to contractors this fall. 

The construction budget on these three projects total $2,050,000, which includes 80% federal funding and 20% funding by the City of Raleigh Capital Improvement Program.  The three projects are tentatively scheduled to begin construction in spring 2015 and be completed by late 2015.

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 Brookside Drive traffic calming project (Watauga Street to Glascock Street) was recently combined and bid out in conjunction with a City Public Utilities project.  The two projects were combined so as to only impact the Brookside Drive corridor with one comprehensive project versus having two separate projects back to back with different contractors.  The project was recently awarded to T.A. Loving Company and construction is scheduled to begin this fall and be completed by Summer 2015.  

Other major traffic calming projects currently under design include Kaplan Drive, Glascock Street, and Milburnie Road. 

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.

Charles Baker Senior Engineering Inspector 

Chuck joined the City Of Raleigh in February of 2007 as a Subdivision Infrastructure Inspector with the Public Works Department.  He acquired the position of Senior Engineering Inspector with the Design/Construction Division in May 2013. Chuck's daily duties include field coordination; inspections of ongoing work, and administration of City street and sidewalk projects.  Since joining the D/C Division Chuck has worked on Greyson Street, Sanderford Road Widening, and Norman Estates Way.  He is presently working on the Freedom Drive Widening project.

Chuck grew up on a family tobacco farm in Southern Wake Co. as a teen and drove a school bus for Wake Co. Schools from 1982 through 1984 while attending Garner High School. After high school he entered the Commercial Grading and Subdivision Roadway construction field while attending Wake Technical Community College. In 2000 Chuck went to work as a Superintendent for a prominent highway construction company in the Raleigh area where he gained experience while working on a section of I-540 in Wake Co., US 64/US 1 through Cary, as well as City of Raleigh Resurfacing Projects and the Wilmington St. Rehabilitation Project.
 
Chuck is a life long resident of Southern Wake Co. and is proud to call the Raleigh area home. His son Lee (26) also works with the City of Raleigh as a fireman and his two daughters, Charleigh (16), and Chanler (13) attend Garner area schools while also enjoying fishing and recreational softball.  Chuck's personal time consists of enjoying traditional sports, hunting, fishing, trapping, collecting/trading modern sporting firearms, and farming with his family. 

Diana Deadmore

CADD Specialist

 Diana began her career with the City of Raleigh in 2000 as a CADD Technician.  She was later promoted to an Engineering Technician with Public Works Transportation Services before accepting her current position of CADD Specialist back in Design/Construction Division in 2006.  Before working for the City, Diana worked as a CAD technician with the NCDOT Rail Division drafting railroad signals, as well as the NCDOT Traffic Engineering Traffic Safety Branch where she conducted crash analysis.

In Diana's current role she is responsible for working with the Roadway Engineering staff to provide drafting and plans production for the design of in-house roadway and sidewalk projects.  She is also responsible for updating the Division’s MicroStation Workspace, Geopak updates and setup and GIS data conversions and mapping needs.

In her spare time, Diana enjoys spending time with her husband, Tom, daughter, Grace and dog, Toby.  She serves as a Troop Leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop, volunteers at her church and her daughter’s acting school, and her favorite “me-time” activity is shopping.  She enjoys taking trips to the beach and spending time with family and friends.