Agenda - 10-06-1998 - 10c - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 related shortcomings of the road by removing many of the blind corners, abrupt grade changes and irregular travel surface. At least two areas of concern will remain unaddressed. The first (cited in the attached letter from the Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Company) is that existing bridge over Cane Creek (at the approximate mid -point of the segment), which is located in the middle of a pronounced "S" curve alignment and which does not provide a two lane travel way, will remain in service for the foreseeable future. NCDOT does, however, believe that the proposed clearing of the right -of -way and lowering of the shoulder on the inside portion of the blind curve at the north end of the bridge will significantly improve the limited line of sight conditions in this area. The second concern is that a segment of roadway, approximately 0.2 mile in length and located about one -half mile from the Bradshaw Quarry Road intersection, is not included in the current paving /grading project. This section of roadway has been deleted from the project, at least temporarily, because the owner of the land adjacent to that segment of the roadway will not give the right -of -way necessary for NCDOT to undertake the necessary construction activities. The reason that the bridge shortcomings will not be addressed is more complex than that for the non -paved segment. The bridge replacement and the secondary roads paving projects are managed by two different segments of NCDOT which use differing criteria for prioritizing projects. The paving of secondary roads in this area is under the jurisdiction of NCDOT's division office in Greensboro and is subject to a prioritization process generally based on the number of vehicles per day which utilize a road or roadway segment. Bridge replacements are under the jurisdiction of the bridge construction and maintenance section in Raleigh and are generally prioritized on the basis of the observed and projected structural integrity of the bridge itself. Although the Buckhom Road bridge over Cane Creek does not provide two full travel lanes and is poorly aligned relative to the roadway, it appears to be structurally sound. According to preliminary information from the NCDOT division office in Greensboro, the bridge does not appear to be included on the current bridge replacement priority list. The procedure for: 1) getting the Buckhom Road bridge added to a place at or near the top of the bridge replacement priority list; 2) acquiring the right -of -way necessary to realign the bridge and bridge approaches; and 3) completing bridge and approach construction is primarily a process in which local government policy makers lobby NCDOT or other state government policy makers. In the past, similar efforts have taken two to six years to achieve results. RECOMMENDATION: Receive this report from County and/or NCDOT staff as information.