RES-2011-026 Resolution Providing Comments to NC Dept. of Transportation Regarding Draft 2011–2020 State Transportation Improvement Program

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• Provide, in consultation with county staff, sidewalks and bike lanes along roads where interchange improvements are required, and to include adequate guardrails on overpasses; • Provide 12' wide travel lanes and 4' wide bicycle lanes for a total paved width of 32' for any roads that may be relocated as part of the project (NCDOT Division of Highways Planning and Environmental Branch has previously indicated that Herman Church Road, SR 1713, and Old NC 10, SR 1710, may be relocated as part of I-305); • Widen the overpass on NC 86 to accommodate increased traffic volumes resulting from recent development in the adjacent Economic Development District; • As part of the project, widen NC 86 from US 70 A to Old NC 10, SR 1710, including bicycle lanes and sidewalks; and • Consult with county staff regarding design of the US 70 interchange to: - To bring to the attention of the NCDOT Staff Biologist, the proposed construction of a wildlife corridor under I-85 in the vicinity of US70 Interchange, as recommended in the "The New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan: Proposals for Linking Duke Forest and Eno River State Park"; and - To provide a pedestrian trail under I-85 linking New Hope Creek and the Eno River (New Hope Rustic Woodland Trail proposed as an element of the Lands Legacy Program). 6. Protects to alleviate congestion in downtown Hillsborough Orange County requests that studies be programmed for projects to alleviate congestion in downtown Hillsborough, now that the Elizabeth Brady Road Extension project has been canceled. These projects include: • R-2825, South Churton Street improvements from I-40 to the Eno River; • U-3436, Realignment of the Eno Mountain and Mayo Street intersections with Orange Grove Road; • Anew project to extend Orange Grove Street to US 70 A; and • Anew project to widen NC 86 from US 70 Bypass to NC 57 with intersection improvements at US 70. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7. Orange County recognizes the importance of the I-85 widening project to economic development in the central portion of the County, and urges NCDOT to accelerate, if possible, Project I-0305A, widening I-85 from I-40 to west of SR 1709 (Lawrence Road) with reconstruction of the interchanges at Old NC 86 and at NC 86. 8. Additionally, the County supports acceleration and phasing of Project I-3306A, widening I- 40 from I-85 to the Durham County Line, with Phase A being both eastbound and westbound segments from the Durham County Line to NC 86 and Phase C being the remainder of the project from NC 86 to I-85. 9. The County also recognizes the importance to economic development of improvements to Buckhorn Road, scheduled for reprioritization in 2012. Orange County urges the NCDOT and the MPO to give due consideration to the need for those improvements in the 2014- 2020 STIP and MTIP.