North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The Town of Chapel Hill is asking for statements of qualifications from firms interested in providing planning, community engagement, and design services for developing the east section of the Morgan Creek Greenway. Parks and recreation staff recently completed a public input survey this month for the Morgan Creek Greenway East section extension, to collect feedback from the community.
This phase would extend the Morgan Creek Trail eastward 3,800 feet to Oteys Road or further to Manning Drive and connect the trail system to extensive neighborhoods south of Fordham Boulevard. One alignment option for this project would be within the Fordham Boulevard Right-of-Way and require safety measures and a retaining wall that meets North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) specifications.
Earlier this year, town council approved American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding up to $500,000 for the design project.
The proposed extension will seamlessly integrate with the existing Morgan Creek Trail, starting from Merritt’s Pasture and extending eastward towards Oteys Drive and possibly even connecting to Manning Drive.
The study explores various route possibilities along roadways and off-road corridors and the path will be primarily on town-owned property, use roadway right-of-way or, if necessary, use public access easements granted by willing property owners.
Input collected through an online survey and in-person meetings will be used to create a framework for completing the planning and design documents for this extension.
For more information visit the project web page.