North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) hosted a public input meeting yesterday (July 18) on a series of recommended safety improvements Morganton Road.
Proposed improvements include adding sidewalks where there are currently gaps; installing or enhancing crosswalks and pedestrian markings; improving traffic signals; and constructing a raised median.
NCDOT staff and consultants said recommendations are the culmination of a year-long study involving several NCDOT planning and traffic divisions and input from the City of Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan planning organization.
The study focused on more than six miles of the Morganton Road corridor from Dobbin Avenue in Haymount to 500 feet west of Reilly Road.
Comments on the project will be accepted until Aug. 2 via email at Morganton-Road-Fayetteville@PublicInput.com or by phone at 984-205-6615; enter project code 2372 to leave a message.
If approved and funded, recommendations are summarized on the project webpage.
Changes include replacing the corridor’s open center turn lane with a raised median to improve safety and traffic flow. Known as a reduced conflict intersection, the design decreases by more than half the potential places where a collision can occur. The department’s reduced conflict intersection webpage explains this design and its benefits.
The department has used the design to install raised medians on other congested Fayetteville corridors, such as Owen Drive, Bragg Boulevard and Ramsey Street. The department plans to provide the same treatment for much of Raeford Road.