Carolina Pines Avenue Improvement Project

We will make improvements to Carolina Pines Avenue from Lake Wheeler Road to South Saunders Street.

This project will improve mobility and connectivity for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic while improving safety throughout this important corridor.

Improvements included in the project are:

A sidewalk on the north side of the street;
A multi-use path on the south side of the street;
Traffic calming measures, including roundabouts;
Stormwater control;
Consolidated transit stops;
Landscaping; and,
Street lights.

Project Details

Type:: Streets
Budget:: $16 Million
Project Lead:: Roadway Design & Construction
Contractors:: Lochner Inc. (Design Consultant)

Contact

Grady McCullom P.E.
Project Manager

Comment Form

Lead Department:: Engineering Services

Participating Department:: Transportation

Service Unit:: Roadway Design and Construction

Advanced Design Public Touchpoint

Welcome to the advanced design public touchpoint for the Carolina Pines Avenue Improvement Project.

We have a brief presentation available that explains the project's goals, explains some of the project's challenges, and highlights some of the project's proposed features.

Please take a moment to view the presentation and review the Public Touchpoint materials linked below.

Carolina Pines Avenue Advanced Design Touchpoint - Roadway Design and Construction

Updated Summer 2021

We are in the Right of Way and Easement Acquisition phase of the Project. During this time, survey crews are out along the corridor.

You will start to see some flags in yards and along the corridor.

What Flag Colors Represent:

White Flags = Right of way needed
Blue Flags = Permanent drainage easement needed (These areas may include installing drainage pipes, catch basins, drainage inlets, and drainage ditches.)
Yellow Flags = Temporary construction easement needed (We will only utilize these easements during construction.)
Red Flags = Electric utility easement
Green Flags = Permanent transit easement
Pink Flags = permanent slope easement

The City requests that all stakes stay in place until the property owners have met with the City’s Real Estate Analyst, Robert Mathes.

The design process is still moving forward. Our team is working towards the final designs. You may see our team along the corridor as we finalize the construction plans. We are scheduled to complete design plans this fall and have a Pre-Construction Meeting in early 2022.

Have Questions?

For questions about real estate or flags you see in your yard, contact Real Estate Analyst, Robert Mathes.

For questions about the project design, contact the Project Manager, Amy Billings, PE.

Public Touchpoint Materials

Design Map 1
Design Map 2
Proposed Detour Routes: More information about proposed detours and project phasing will be available during the Pre- Construction Public Touchpoint.

Public Survey Results

A rendering of the proposed improvements to Caroina Pines Avenue — A rendering of what Carolina Pines Avenue will look like once the project is complete.

Project History

Carolina Pines Avenue has a mix of single family and multi-family residences. The current roadway lacks pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby Carolina Pines Park.

Based on public feedback from public meetings, other public engagement opportunities, and internal discussions, we are moving forward with design Alternative 2. (Both alternatives are linked below.) This design includes a sidewalk on the north side of the street and a multi-use path on the south side. It also eliminates the bike lanes adjacent to the travel lanes and creates a buffer for the multi-use path. This option also has less right of way impact to property owners due to a narrower roadway footprint.

Justification to support Alternative 2

93 percent of the public comments we received supported a multi-use path over bike lanes;
68 Percent of the public comments received supported traffic calming measures along the roadway; and,
There was strong support for a roundabout at the intersection of Granite Street.

Lake Wheeler Intersection

The intersection of Lake Wheeler Road and Carolina Pines Avenue provided a challenge in identifying an intersection design to address the current safety and operational concerns as well as the projected future needs for this corridor. After extensive collaboration and evaluation of design options for this intersection with our partners at NCDOT and Duke Energy, and in consideration of all feedback received from the public, a signalized intersection at Lake Wheeler Road and Carolina Pines Avenue was selected.

There was immense interest in this intersection from all and we appreciate the feedback received. We also understand that this final design may be disappointing to some. The selected signal design does seek to address the safety and operational concerns of this intersection, improving the experience for all users of both Lake Wheeler Road and Carolina Pines Avenue.

Public Art

The project will include a public art component. The City selected Gabriel Eng-Goetz as the artist for this project. To learn more about the project, the artist selected, and give your input visit the Carolina Pines Avenue Public Art Project page.

Schedule

Date	Activity
April 25, 2019	Pre-design Public Meeting
Nov. 4, 2019	Preliminary Plans Public Meeting
Late Jan. or Early Feb. 2021	Advanced Design Public Touchpoint
Feb. 2021	City Council Project Presentation
Fall 2021	Complete Right of Way and Easement Acquisition
Late Fall 2021	Advertise for Construction Bids
Spring 2022	Pre-construction Meeting
Spring 2024	Project Complete