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12 <br /> development. Further, after recently enduring the construction of I-40, they are angered <br /> by the possibility of another construction project in the same area. <br /> They also expressed fear that sedimentation in New Hope Creek and Jordan Lake will <br /> result. Since a section of right-of-way has been dedicated for the alignment of the <br /> parkway, residents feel that the old alignment should be maintained. Residents have also <br /> made comments concerning the pressures created by potential development to upgrade <br /> the roads and construct the I-40 interchange. Several residents stated that the NCDOT <br /> promised before I-40 was constructed that there would never be an interchange at <br /> Farrington Road and I-40 but that the NCDOT has yielded to the demands of developers. <br /> Response:The staff recognizes that an interchange with an interstate highway does create <br /> strong pressures for high intensity land use, which would conflict with adopted land use <br /> plans. Use of the dedicated right-of-way for Laurel Hill Parkway rather than George King <br /> Road shifts the road only slightly to the west and does not eliminate the possibility of an <br /> interchange with US 15-501 (Chapel Hill Blvd.) east of Pope Road. Several alternate <br /> alignments for the Laurel Hill Parkway have been considered since the public meetings. <br /> All of these alignments use the dedicated section of right-of-way through the Oaks I11 <br /> rather than George King Road, and all eliminate the interchange of Farrington Road and <br /> 1-40. The elimination of the proposed interchange at Farrington Road has a slight <br /> negative impact on the operation of adjacent 1-40 interchanges. The purpose of the <br /> proposed interchange was for local service and as such, anticipated traffic volumes-were <br /> relatively low. The realignment of the Laurel Hill Parkway to connect directly with the <br /> proposed realignment of Mount Moriah Road via Watkins Road at US 15-501 is <br /> considered to be absolutely necessary. The use of Watkins Road rather than Pope Road <br /> does provide a more direct route for existing and anticipated travel patterns in the area. <br /> There is a strong move between the residential area (west of 1-40) to and from Durham <br /> via Old Chapel Hill Road. <br /> Use of the alignment shown in the adopted Chapel Hill Plan or any alignment that <br /> intersects with US 15-501 west of the location shown in the proposed plan would not <br /> permit adequate design standards to be maintained for the proposed upgrading of 15- <br /> 501 to a freeway. <br /> US 15-501 - POPE ROAD - MOUNT MORTAR ROAD INTERCHANGE <br /> Background: Traffic projections for 2010 indicate that US 15-501 will carry some 90,000 <br /> vehicles by the design date. US 15-501 therefore must be upgraded to a freeway to <br /> accommodate this volume. In addition, only a small amount of development in the <br /> vicinity of Mount Moriah Road and Pope Road would overburden the existing at-grade <br /> intersection. It is recommended that the intersection be upgraded to an interchange <br /> located one tenth of a mile to the east of the I-40 interchange in order to operate <br /> 2.7 <br /> • <br />