Blue Ridge Road Widening Project

About the Project

The purpose of this project is to provide a functional and safer multi-modal corridor for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians along the Blue Ridge Road corridor from Duraleigh Road to Crabtree Valley Avenue.

The project will widen a segment of Blue Ridge Road from Duraleigh Road to Crabtree Valley Avenue to three lanes with:

Curb and gutter;
Pedestrian culvert,
Sidewalks; and,
A multi-use path.

The City is receiving federal funding for a portion of this project.

What does that mean?

We are splitting the project into two sections for construction.

Blue Ridge Road South is from Duraleigh Road to just east of Homewood Banks Drive and is scheduled to advertise for construction contracts Summer 2023 and start construction Fall 2023.
Blue Ridge Road North is from just east of Homewood Banks Drive to Crabtree Valley Avenue and is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in mid 2024.

Project Details

Type:: Streets
Budget:: $26.6 million
Project Lead:: Roadway Design & Construction
Contractors:: Kimley Horn (Design Consultant)

Updated Fall 2021

We are in the right-of-way and easement acquisition phase of the of the project.

Duke Energy is scheduled to start utility relocation work along the corridor in early 2022. Part of this work includes clearing along the corridor to allow for the relocation of utility poles. Utility relocation work is expected to take eight months.

Next Steps

We are scheduled to advertise the project for construction in Spring 2022.

Blue Ridge Road South

Private Utility Relocations Continue

Duke Energy has finished their utility relocation work. However, other private utility companies are currently relocating underground and above ground lines along the corridor. This work is expected to last throughout the summer.

City Construction to Start This Fall

The team is working on getting all permits required for the project. Once this process is completed we will advertise the project for construction bids. After a construction contractor is selected we will hold a pre-construction meeting with residents along the corridor.

Blue Ridge Road North

Duke Energy has finished their relocation activity along the northern part of the corridor. However, other private utility companies are starting their relocation work along the corridor. This work is expected to last throughout the fall of 2023.

What is Next

The design team has submitted the advanced designs to NCDOT for their review. This process can take between three to four months. Once design plans are approved the team will start the permitting process. After all permits are received the project will be advertised for construction contracts. We expect this to take place in winter 2024.

Southern Section Schedule

Date	Activity
July 12, 2018	Early Designs Public Meeting (25% plan)
May 20, 2019	Advanced Design Public Meeting (65% Plan)
August 2019	City Council Presentation
June 2020 - December 2021	Right of Way and Easement Acquisition
Spring Through Summer 2023	Private Utility Relocation - Currently Ongoing
Summer 2023	Advertise for Construction Bids - Southern Section
Late Summer 2023	Pre-Construction meeting
Fall 2023	Start Construction - Southern Section
Summer 2025	Project Completion - Southern Section

Northern Section Schedule

Date	Activity
Fall 2022 - Fall 2023	Private Utility Relocation
Winter 2024	Advertise for Construction Bids - Northern Section
Summer 2024	Pre-Construction Public Meeting
Summer 2024	Start Construction - Northern Section
Fall 2025	Project Complete - Northern Section

Public Art

The project will include a public art component. Public art along this corridor will include stand-alone or integrated art, which may include a stand-alone sculpture, artwork sited at stormwater catchment site(s), and/or artwork integrated into pedestrian paving, lighting, benches/bike racks or other site elements. The artist will work closely with the design team, project stakeholders, and neighborhood groups to ensure a successful outcome. The artists selected for this project are Angelina Marino-Heidel and Joe Heidel.

Find out more about the public art coming to this project.

Project Details

The Blue Ridge Road Widening Project was prioritized in the Capital Improvement Program, as a major street project.

The roadway connects a major hospital and shopping center. Along with those two anchors, Blue Ridge is fronted by both single-family residences and apartment complexes. Towards the North-Eastern end, the road is intersected by a heavily used greenway.

The project will widen Blue Ridge Road from Duraleigh Road to Crabtree Boulevard to a two-lane divided multimodal roadway.

While maintaining one lane of traffic in each direction, most of the project will include a center turn lane. There is one section with a large curve that will have a raised median. A sidewalk will be located on one side of the roadway and a multi-use path on the other, creating a connection to the House Creek Greenway. Transit stops will be improved along the corridor and made shelter-ready. There will also be a pedestrian culvert under Blue Ridge Road that connects to House Creek Greenway.