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6 <br /> lib <br /> US 70 Existing Conditions <br /> 1.1 Introduction <br /> 1.1.1 Study Purpose <br /> The US 70 Corridor Study is an in-depth review of the 18.9-mile stretch of US 70 between NC 119 in Mebane to the <br /> Orange/Durham County line and the 3-mile stretch of US 70 Business from NC 86(Churton Street)to US 70.The existing <br /> two-lane roadway is a regionally significant east-west corridor with daily traffic volumes ranging from less than 4,000 <br /> vehicles/day to about 17,000.Traffic congestion along the corridor is concentrated during peak periods at a few locations <br /> with more frequent intersections and/or heavy conflicts/turning movements. The route also acts as relief for I-85 or a <br /> secondary route in the event of an accident. Much of the western portion of the corridor runs adjacent to the North <br /> Carolina Railroad(NCRR)line carrying both passenger and freight rail services.There are numerous stream crossings <br /> along this portion of US 70,most notably over the Eno River where the Mountains-to-Sea Trail(MST)also crosses.Other <br /> parks and open spaces in and around the corridor include the Eno River State Park and Quarry,Historic Occoneechee <br /> Speedway and Natural Area,River Park and Riverwalk Trail,Kings Highway Park,Efland-Cheeks Park and Community <br /> Center, and Lake Michael Park.The roadway also traverses rural,residential,commercial,manufacturing,institutional, <br /> and agricultural land uses,which makes designing a roadway that accommodates the needs of all users an important <br /> challenge. <br /> The City of Mebane,Town of Hillsborough,NCDOT Division 7,Burlington-Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization <br /> (BGMPO)and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization(DCHC MPO)recognized the need <br /> to evaluate this vital roadway and have come together to fund this study. <br /> The goal of this study is to develop a long-term vision for this corridor,including the US 70 roadway itself and the <br /> surrounding communities and natural areas.This vision is comprehensive,addressing preservation of the area's <br /> 4 US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study Existing Conditions Report <br />