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A plan to widen Fire Tower and Portertown roads to a four-lane divided highway between Charles Boulevard and East 10th Street will claim at least 19 homes and one business, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
A public meeting on the expansion is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Community Schools and Recreation Building, Alice Keene Park, 4561 County Home Road. There won't be a formal presentation but a video detailing the project will be available along with maps for review.
People can ask questions and present comments to N.C. DOT representatives. There also will be a comment form for people who want to submit written statements at the meeting or by Oct. 6.
The DOT mailed nearly 1,200 cards to people who own property along the proposed route or live in subdivisions impacted by the design.
The route covers a 2.77-mile route through a densely populated residential area along Greenville’s southern and eastern border. It connects commercial areas on Fire Tower and 10th Street.
Plans call for bicycle lanes along both the sides of the road, and the center median will limit left-hand turns from many neighborhoods. The roundabout at Fire Tower and Portertown will be expanded to two lanes. A two-lane roundabout will be built at the intersection of Portertown and Eastern Pines roads.
There are no immediate plans for sidewalks or noise barriers. An additional two-lane bridge would be constructed on Portertown over Hardee Creek between King George and Robin roads and Williamsbrook Lane and Willow Run Drive.
Early designs will require the relocation of 19 homes and one business, but the number could increase as plans for locating utilities are finalized. The DOT did not identify specifically which properties would be affected.
The project has been a long-time goal of the Greenville Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, said Maria
Rogerson, NCDOT project engineer. The Greenville MPO plans for the use of federal transportation dollars. Its members come from Greenville, Winterville, Ayden, Simpson and the surrounding areas of Pitt County.
The project, with an initial price tag of nearly $30 million, was authorized earlier this year.
Sections of Fire Tower have either exceeded or are close to exceeding the number of vehicles they were designed to handle, Rogerson said.
The section of Fire Tower Road between Charles Boulevard and 14th Street was designed to handle 16,250 daily vehicle trips, she said. The actual count is 22,000 daily vehicle trips. Fire Tower Road between 14th Street and Portertown Road was designed to handle 15,800 daily vehicle trips; the actual count is 12,113.
Between March 2011 and February 2016 there were 380 crashes on both roadways; 173 were rear-end collisions and 88 involved left-hand turns.
"It's going to get busier. Why not build a road that can handle the traffic going in that direction?" Rogerson said. Adding a turn lane to the existing road wouldn't accommodate the amount of traffic traveling along the roads.
"What we have tried to do is work with a consultant to reduce the impact as much as possible," Rogerson said. To mitigate the impact, engineers are designing smaller medians, reducing them to 23 feet to 16 feet wide, she said.
On either side of the medians will be two 11-foot lanes, Rogerson said. Five-foot bike lanes will be built along both sides of the road and curbs and gutters will be added.
There will be enough right-of-way for sidewalks, but their installation is dependent on whether Greenville City Council and Pitt County Board of Commissioners agree to share the cost.
Traffic cuts in the median will allow vehicles to make left turns in certain subdivisions or U-turns to reach subdivisions and driveways, she said.
While the proposed road alignment is set, there is some room for modification, she said.
As currently designed, 19 houses and one business must be relocated, Rogerson said. The final plan for locating utilities may increase that number, she said.
None of the churches along the roadway must relocate, and the historic Red Banks Primitive Baptist Church property is untouched, she said.
After the public comments are reviewed, the utilities right-of-way plan will be finished and a final draft completed.
A second public meeting on the final draft will be held in the spring and right-of-way acquisition should begin in late 2017. Construction, which will likely take 2-2 1/2 years, will begin in 2019.
I noticed today that crews have begun clearing trees for the Southwest bypass where the current loop ends near Stantonsburg Rd. I'm guessing they're working on this bypass from both ends? Good to see it's started.
They sure are. There clearing not only there but they're clearing trees on Forlines Rd., Davenport Farm, and were Red Forbes meet Posicon.
Good info on the Firetower Widening Project up there...I'm really excited about the widening, not so much the 2 year construction, but it will nice & is much needed!
People still don't understand the round about at times...can't wait until the double lane round about comes...people will be all damn confused for awhile. "Look Kids, Big Ben".
Last edited by jpirate; 09-19-2016 at 06:53 AM..
Reason: e
Raleigh had a double lane roundabout on Hillsborough near NCSU and eventually had to scale it back to 1 lane. There were wrecks pretty much daily. I wonder how well it will work here.
If they build it such that it forces certain directional movements it might work better.
Raleigh had a double lane roundabout on Hillsborough near NCSU and eventually had to scale it back to 1 lane. There were wrecks pretty much daily. I wonder how well it will work here.
If they build it such that it forces certain directional movements it might work better.
I've been through that roundabout there and it's still chaos at peak times most days. Roundabouts are a simple concept, but can be difficult in real live situations. Even overseas where roundabouts appear to be more common, there are still plenty of crashes.
We're not the only ones that can't drive in roundabouts.
The plan looks great. I'm not against roundabouts, and I think they can be an effective way to direct traffic. I'm actually surprised at the low number of accidents on the current roundabout in Greenville. I think traffic is light enough most days where it's not an issue. Also, having that extra "exit" going towards firetower before getting on the roundabout helps a lot too.
I like how we're pulling these national acts to Greenville.
Wow! I'm not really into country music, but I have recognized all of these announced acts as being some of the top/most popular acts in the genre. Amazing that Greenville is getting this type of act (no matter the genre) to come. I think it's about time for Greenville to create it's own "Walnut Creek". Using ECU is great, but at some point, schedules will conflict and prevent these national acts from being able to come.
Best of all this Paisley concert is FREE to the public!
Wow! I'm not really into country music, but I have recognized all of these announced acts as being some of the top/most popular acts in the genre. Amazing that Greenville is getting this type of act (no matter the genre) to come. I think it's about time for Greenville to create it's own "Walnut Creek". Using ECU is great, but at some point, schedules will conflict and prevent these national acts from being able to come.
Best of all this Paisley concert is FREE to the public!
Not to mention how many more acts that will be coming once the Uptown Theater opens!
Also, that looks like a huge undertaking for the Fire Tower project! It will be very worth it once it is completed.
Wow! I'm not really into country music, but I have recognized all of these announced acts as being some of the top/most popular acts in the genre. Amazing that Greenville is getting this type of act (no matter the genre) to come. I think it's about time for Greenville to create it's own "Walnut Creek". Using ECU is great, but at some point, schedules will conflict and prevent these national acts from being able to come.
Best of all this Paisley concert is FREE to the public!
If the City does the Town Common right, it could have a trifecta downtown in the Uptown Theater, supposed to open in 2018, a redone upgraded outdoor amphitheater on the river and ECU's new performing Arts Center for larger shows on 1st St. And then factor in ECU's new commitment for national acts at the near downtown Stadium and Coliseum, Greenville could once again become a major stopping point in the live music business.
If the City does the Town Common right, it could have a trifecta downtown in the Uptown Theater, supposed to open in 2018, a redone upgraded outdoor amphitheater on the river and ECU's new performing Arts Center for larger shows on 1st St. And then factor in ECU's new commitment for national acts at the near downtown Stadium and Coliseum, Greenville could once again become a major stopping point in the live music business.
Especially considering the Uptown theatre is going to be managed by the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh.
Greenville could become a really cool music spot over the next 5 years.
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