Looks like they are going to start road construction on Catawba Avenue this weekend...If you're planning on attending the Jetton celebration, keep this in mind...
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) Expect slowdowns on West Catawba
Widening project on street to close lanes during weekends
ERICA BESHEARS
[email protected] Plan for delays this weekend: There will be lane closings on West Catawba Avenue, where widening work has started in earnest.
Drivers can expect closings and delays for the next several weekends, weather permitting, as crews grade and pave extra shoulder on the north side of the road, said Ron Graham, resident engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
When Rea Contracting is done with that step, the existing lanes can shift to the north and provide room for barriers to be installed. Crews can safely work behind the barriers during the day without stopping traffic, Graham said. The construction barrels that are up now only provide a safe-enough barrier at night and on weekends when there's less traffic.
The $14 million project to transform the congested three-lane road into four lanes with a median is supposed to be finished in about a year. It will go from the Exit 28 ramps (west side) to just beyond the Jetton Road intersection. The current project doesn't include remaking Exit 28 or widening the road from Jetton to N.C. 73.
The widening has been planned, discussed and anticipated for years. Cornelius agreed to pay to bury the utilities and secured right-of-way donations from local businesses and property owners. It also worked with the state on access to businesses. Utility burial started in 2005.
Doug Barrick, project manager for Cornelius, is the town's liaison to the project and has worked with DOT to minimize driver inconvenience. He said the town paid for signs that point drivers to an alternate route, Jetton Road Extension.
"We're working with the state now to get some of those large message-board signs so we can advertise those (closings)," he said.
Barrick said residents can also e-mail him with questions or to be notified of closings.
Lane closings are limited to nighttime and the weekends. The contract also specifies that work may not be possible on Friday nights in the summer, when interstate traffic tends to backs up over the lake, Graham said.
Alternate routes
The West Catawba widening project has been designed to minimize impact on drivers. However, there'll be some inconvenience at night and on weekends. Here are some ways around the mess:
• Jetton Road Extension/Sefton Park Drive: It's one road with two names, and it parallels West Catawba on the south, from Liverpool Parkway to Jetton Road. It's especially helpful because most of the shopping centers on the south side of West Catawba have rear access to this road.
• Knox Road: This long, straight diagonal road connects the north side of West Catawba (near Goodwill) to Torrence Chapel Road near Shops on the Green and provides rear access to the Southlake shopping center. It's a lifesaver for folks who want to avoid the messy West Catawba/Torrence Chapel intersection.
• Westmoreland Road: If you want to give the construction a wide berth, try Westmoreland Road to get from east to west in Cornelius. It connects U.S. 21 to West Catawba well south of the construction zone. Bonus: Westmoreland crosses the interstate without an interchange, so drivers can zip over I-77 without stopping at any stoplights.
• Exit 25. If you know traffic is going to be bad, and your destination is on the far side of West Catawba (say, Nantz Road or so), consider the back way from Exit 25. Head west on N.C. 73, then turn right on West Catawba. Just remember, Exit 25 has its own problems.
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Jetton Grand Opening and Dedication (Read 2922 times)