Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
9 <br />ORANGE COUNTY PROJECTS OUTSIDE <br />THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO <br />METROPOLITAN AREA BOUNDARY <br />Projects Requested By Orange County <br />I. Buckhorn Road (SR 1114) Widening• Widen from US 70 to West Ten Road (SR <br />1144) to a multilane facility with bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This stretch of <br />roadway borders the western boundary of the I-85/Buckhorn Road Economic <br />Development District (EDD), and the improvements are needed to support plans for <br />development of proposed uses within the EDD. This area is the focus of a growing <br />problem of traffic backing up on the northbound exit ramps of I-85 caused by <br />northbound traffic exiting I-85 onto southbound Buckhorn Road and turning left into a <br />nonconforming business use just south of the interchange.. With increased interest <br />in extending water and sewer and reconsidering proposed uses within the EDD, <br />improvements to the transportation system to support plans for that district are <br />necessary to attract the desired planned development. <br />II. Efland Cedar Grove Road (SR 1004 SR 1357)• straighten and make turn lane <br />improvements: make more direct connection to Interstate 85 Orange County <br />requests that this project be included in the 2006-2012 TIP, although this project was <br />not included in Orange County's Priority List for the 2006-2010 Transportation <br />Improvement Program. Orange County has included this project in the Priority List <br />for the 2007-2013 TIP. <br />Traffic has increased approximately 170% over the past ten years on Efland-Cedar <br />Grove Road just north of US 70, with the greatest increase between 1997 and 1999 <br />when average annual daily traffic (AADT) increased from 2000 to 4200, a 110% <br />increase over the two year period. The most recent AADT counts show a 14% over <br />the period from 1999 to 2001. Much of that traffic "dog-legs" through Efland on <br />Forrest Avenue to Mt. Willing Road to access Interstate 85. Mt. Willing Road <br />provides an at grade crossing of the North Carolina Railroad corridor, the only <br />access across the railroad tracks between Hillsborough and Buckhorn Road. (The <br />I-85/US 70 Connector just east of Efland is not accessible to traffic on eastbound US <br />70.) <br />III. Park and Ride Lot in the Buckhorn Economic Development District: Orange County <br />requests a park and .ride facility (from the adopted Orange County Economic <br />Development District Design IVlanual) be funded in the Community Transportation <br />Improvement Plan for Orange Public Transportation. This project is clearly justified, <br />as it would provide an opportunity for coordination of public transportation efforts <br />between two growing regions in North Carolina, the Triad and Triangle. Orange <br />County recognizes this project as a priority with development of the EDD and <br />expansion of rural/regional public transportation services. <br />