Public takes a look at realignment project
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 25, 2017 5:50 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Patricia Collins leans in to get a closer look at a map that shows the proposed plans for the re-routing of Central Heights Road and several other ajoining roads that may effect her during a meeting Monday night at the Goldsboro Event Center.
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Chuck Nuckols, senior vice-president and project engineer for Kimley-Horn, speaks with several area residents that will be effected by the possible re-routing of Central Heights Road.
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Property owner Gerald M. Underhill talks to Lloyd Johnston, right of way agent for the Department of Transportation, and Teresa Gresham, project engineer for Kimley-Horn, during a public meeting at Goldsboro Event Center Monday night about the possible Central Heights Road re-routing plans.
Carl Martin liked what he saw on the large map illustrating the proposed realignment of Central Heights Road at the Royall Avenue/Berkeley Boulevard intersection.
He does not live in the area that would be affected by the changes, but like many others, he has sat through long traffic light delays while navigating the confusing and congested intersection.
"My interest is in eliminating this bottleneck right here where you have got to come down Royall wait for this light," he said. "It is light a four-way light with traffic so you have to wait to make that turn to come down here. So that is interesting to do.
"I come through when I go to Lowe's, and it is a bottleneck."
While he did have some concerns about how businesses and residents would be affected along the stretch of Central Heights Road that would be removed, for the most part he supports the work.
It has been a project more than a decade in the making and from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday the public had a chance to look at the maps and ask questions of state Department of Transportation officials during a two-hour public meeting at the Goldsboro Event Center.
No formal presentation was made. Comments can still be submitted by phone, email or mail through Monday, Aug. 14.
The primary purpose of this project is to improve traffic flow and connectivity on and around this section of Berkeley Boulevard (U.S. 13), said Matt Clarke, DOT project engineer.
Right of way for the Central Heights Road realignment is scheduled to start in February 2018, at an estimated cost of $270,000 with construction to follow in 2020 at an estimated cost of $1.125 million. Under the proposal, which is still in the design stage, Central Heights Road would be relocated from the south side of the railroad tracks to the north side closer to Lowe's in order to align with the Royall Avenue/Berkeley Boulevard intersection.
Royall Avenue would be widened and shifted somewhat to the north to provide a wider separation from the tracks.
A low concrete median would be installed on Berkeley Boulevard from the U.S. 70 ramps to the railroad crossing. The road would be resurfaced from the U.S. 70 ramps to the Berkeley Commons shopping center entrance near Bed Bath and Beyond.
A dedicated right turn lane onto the U.S. 70 West ramp would be added on southbound Berkeley Boulevard in order to alleviate backups. Currently traffic can turn onto the ramp or continue southward which can cause traffic to back up, Clarke said.
The city of Goldsboro is partnering with the DOT to acquire the needed right of way and easements necessary to extend Oak Forest Road across the railroad and to extend Fallin Boulevard to Central Heights Road.
With the new U.S. 70 Bypass just miles north of the area, the planned improvements will be an asset for the city for years to come as traffic continues to grow, Mayor Chuck Allen said.
As proposed, the existing Central Heights Road at-grade railroad crossing would be closed and portions of the road and Oak Forest Road pavement on the south side of the tracks would be removed.
Property now accessible from that section of Central Heights Road would instead be accessible through a new service road that would connect with Berkeley Boulevard.
Traffic on the service road would not be able to turn left to go south on Berkeley Boulevard. It would have to turn right and head north before it could turn at the new Central Heights intersection
The project also includes improvements to Oak Forest Road and Fallin Boulevard both of which would be widened to three lanes. They would be extended as well to create a new intersection at Central Heights Road. The intersection would be controlled by a traffic light. A new at-grade railroad crossing would be needed for the Oak Forest Road portion of the project. The Central Heights Road realignment will continue even if the Oak Forest Road and Fallin Boulevard project does not.
Project information and materials can be viewed as they become available online at www.ncdot.gov/ projects/publicmeetings.
For additional information, contact Clarke at 509 Ward Blvd., P.O. Box 3165, Wilson, N.C. 27895, or 252-640-6419, or wmclarke@ ncdot.gov.