Poole Road Widening Project

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Updated: May 6, 2024

Poole Road Widening Project - Construction is underway

The purpose of the project is to improve Poole Road, from Maybrook Drive to Barwell Road. The project includes widening the roadway to a four-lane complete street with a median, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities.

Project Details

Type:: Streets
Budget:: $14.8 Million
Project Lead:: Roadway Design & Construction
Contractors:: Fred Smith Company (Construction Contractor) RK&K (Design Consultant)

Contact

Division Manager
Sylvester Percival, PE
Sylvester.Percival@raleighnc.gov

Comment Form

Lead Department:: Engineering Services

Participating Department:: Transportation

Service Unit:: Roadway Design and Construction

This project supports

Raleigh's Climate Plan in Action

The Poole Road widening project design was originally presented to the public on Sept. 20, 2018. Based on public input we revised the plans. The improved design removes the five-foot bicycle lanes from the roadway and widens the multi-use path (MUP) and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway.

This new design will give cyclists and pedestrians, as well as vehicles a safer user experience and will reduce the overall impacts of the project. The new design was presented at an informal public meeting on June 12.

Project Update

The project is close to being complete. The crews have completed the last layer of asphalt. The new striping pattern is the next step. For the final striping pattern, the contractor will use thermoplastic, a synthetic material that becomes pliable at extremely high temperatures, then cools quickly and hardens. The thermoplastic material that our contractor will use for the pavement markings contains a pigment for color, glass beads for reflectivity, a filler to add bulk, and a binder to hold everything together. The material will be heated to a temperature of at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then applied to the pavement.

Did you know?

Thermoplastic markings can last more than eight years, and the glass beads in the thermoplastic make the markings more visible and increase reflectivity, especially on wet pavements or at night.

What's next?

Once the final striping is in place and all landscaping is completed the team will start work on any punch list items, and then the project will be complete.

We understand that construction is an inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience. Please stay alert in the work zone and drive carefully along this busy corridor.

If you have any construction related questions please use the Comment Form.

Next Steps

Final striping
Punch list items
Project complete

Schedule

Winter = January - March, Spring = April - June, Summer = July - September, Fall = October - December
Date	Activity
Sept. 2018	Preliminary Plans Public Meeting (25% plan)
June 12, 2019	Design Plan Public Meeting (65% plan)
August 2019	City Council Presentation
Winter 2021	Complete Right of Way and Easement Acquisition
Winter 2021	Advertise for Construction Bids
Spring 2021	Award Construction Contract
Spring 2021	Pre-Construction Meeting
May 2024	Project Complete

Traffic Control During Construction

Lane Closures:

There will be one lane of traffic in each direction maintained throughout the project. However, there may be periodic short-term lane closures and flagging operations.

When lane closures are required, the contractor will utilize:

Portable traffic control signs;
Trained flaggers; and,
Traffic Cones.

No lane closures will occur between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. or between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Construction activities are generally scheduled Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., with some Saturday work as needed. The contractor may need to work some nights. Notice will be given to residents in advance, if night work is needed.

In the event of unplanned extended work hours, crews will notify properties affected by that work.

Side Streets:

Residents will have access to side streets at all times during construction. When crews are working on side streets, there may be a need to close a lane while performing paving operations. This will be completed with the help of trained flaggers and proper signage.

There will be times when a side street will need to cross over the old or new asphalt before turning left or right onto Poole Road. During these times, the contractor will use road-closed signs and construction barrels to help direct traffic through the work zone.

Driveways:

When crews do driveway work, the contractor will coordinate with residents in advance to ensure residents have access to their property and a place to park.

Work Zone Safety:

Drivers should always be alert and tentative when entering a construction zone.

Pay close attention to all signs and look out for flaggers along the corridor.

We understand that construction is an inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience.

Public Art

The Poole Road project includes a public art component.
The artist for this project is Sharon Dowell. Sharon is a painter with a focus on works on canvas, murals and public art.
For more information on Sharon and the public art for this project, visit the Poole Road Public Art page.