The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to widen N.C. 105 from Old Shulls Mill Road (east of Foscoe) to N.C. 105 Bypass in Boone, and the NCDOT is holding a public hearing on the matter on Monday, Nov. 7. The meeting is taking place on the Watauga Campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (Building W372, Room 112) in Boone from 4 to 7 p.m.
See a map of the project location and proposed typical sections below.
The purposes of this project are to:
- Reduce congestion on N.C. 105 for commuters and visitors.
- Reduce rear-end and run-off road crashes.
- Improve bicycle facilities in areas where capacity or safety improvements are proposed.
N.C. 105 from Clarks Creek Road to Old Shulls Mill Road was also studied, but did not need improvements to meet the purposes of this project. Between Old Shulls Mill Road and Broadstone Road, improvements include extending the existing passing lane further to the south, improving the southern Old Shulls Mill Road/N.C. 105 intersection, closing the northern Old Shulls Mill Road/N.C. 105 intersection, and widening and paving the shoulders.
Between Broadstone Road and N.C. 105 Bypass, improvements include widening to four lanes with a 23-foot wide raised grass median and widening and paving the shoulders. The bridge that carries N.C. 105 over the Watauga River north of the Broadstone Road (S.R. 1112) intersection will be replaced as part of this project. Construction on the bridge will begin before construction on the rest of the corridor.
Project Schedule*
Fall/Winter 2016: Public Hearing; Preparation of final environmental document
Fiscal Year 2018: Right-of-way acquisition begins for bridge at Broadstone Road
Fiscal Year 2019: Construction begins for bridge at Broadstone Road
Fiscal Year 2022: Right-of-way acquisition begins for the rest of the project
Unfunded: Construction for the rest of the project
What happens at a Public Hearing?
An informal public hearing will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. NCDOT will display large maps of the proposed design and the project team will be available to answer questions and provide more information. Citizens are invited to drop by anytime during the public hearing. Comment forms will be available for citizens to leave written comments. Written comments can also be mailed following the public hearing.
All comments are requested by December 9, 2016.
Project contact information:
Jamille Robbins
Public Involvement Group Leader, NCDOT
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1548
919-707-6085
jarobbins@ncdot.gov
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