NCDOT awards $2.9 million contract to resurface roads in Orange County

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to resurface nearly eight miles of roadway in Orange County.
The $2.9 million contract was awarded to Rea Contracting, a division of Lane Construction Corp. of Charlotte. Work can begin as early as April 2 and is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 10.
The following roadways will be resurfaced:
• .83 miles of U.S. 15/501 from just east of Erwin Road to the Durham County line;
• 1.6 miles of N.C. 86/Martin Luther King Boulevard from Estes Drive to Franklin Street;
• .47 miles of S. Greensboro Street from Main Street to Rand Street;
• 1.5 miles of N. Greensboro Street/Hillsborough Road from Lorraine Street to Main Street;
• 1.5 miles of Seawell School Road from High School Road to Estes Drive;
• .8 miles of Seawell School Road/High School Road near Homestead Road; and
• 1.2 miles of Orange High School Road from the U.S. 70 Bypass to Miller Road.
Resurfacing these sections of roadway will extend the lifespan of the pavement, improve safety and provide a smoother ride for motorists.
This is one of 31 contracts totaling $85.5 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 7.5 percent, or about $7 million, below NCDOT estimates. Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 472 highway contracts totaling $3.6 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

Hillsborough seeking bids for pump station replacement project

The Town of Hillsborough is seeking bid proposals through 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, for the construction of the Elizabeth Brady Pump Station replacement.
The work will include constructing a duplex submersible wastewater pumping station with standby power as well as a gravity sewer and forcemain.
A pre-bid conference will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Town Barn. Attendees will have the opportunity to present questions, obtain clarifications and inspect the project site. Attendance is recommended.
Sealed bid proposals will be accepted at Town Engineer Kenny Keel’s office on the Town Hall campus, 101, E. Orange St. The Town Barn is located on the campus. Parking is accessed from E. Corbin Street.
Contract documents may be obtained from Duncan-Parnell—4275 Regency Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 or 336-855-1211—or ordered online at dpibidroom.com, accompanied by a nonrefundable deposit of $100.
In addition to the Hillsborough engineer’s office, documents will be on file for viewing at the following locations:
• Associated General Contractors offices in Raleigh and Charlotte
• McGraw Hill Dodge’s website
• HCAC/iSqFt. Plan Room in Raleigh
• The office of the project’s engineer, Davis-Martin-Powell & Associates in High Point.
For more information, view the Notice to Bidders on the Bid Postings page of the town’s website.

NCDOT to host public meetings for proposed improvements to I-95

The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a series of public meetings from Tuesday, Feb. 7, through Monday, Feb. 27, in communities along the I-95 corridor to provide information on the proposed plans to improve the interstate through North Carolina.
The informal meetings will take place in Lumberton, Weldon, Rocky Mount, Smithfield, Wilson, Dunn and Fayetteville. Interested citizens may drop by anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. to view project information, maps and the I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study Environmental Assessment. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions about the project. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will also be provided.
NCDOT has received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration on the Environmental Assessment of the I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study. The study began in 2009 and focuses on improving the safety, connectivity and efficiency of all 182 miles of I-95 through North Carolina.
For a complete list of meeting dates and locations, as well as locations where the Environmental Assessment can be viewed, go to www.driving95.com. Locations to view the assessment are also available by calling 1-877-I95-VIEW.
For more information on the meetings, contact NCDOT Project Development Engineer Kristine O’Connor at (919) 707-6034 or via email at kaoconnor@ncdot.gov. Residents unable to attend a meeting may also submit comments to O’Connor via email or online. Comments may also be mailed (reference I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study) to:
Kristine O’Connor
NCDOT Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1548

Comments will be accepted through March 27.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in these meetings. Anyone requiring special services should contact O’Connor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Trail improvements planned at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

Construction to improve the Summit Trail at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Durham County will begin Monday, Feb. 6, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
The trail and all park facilities will remain open during the construction period and available to the public, but vehicles and construction equipment may be traveling on parts of the 0.6-mile trail in backcountry areas of the park. Other trails in the state natural area will be unaffected. The project is expected to be completed in approximately two weeks.
For further information on the project, contact officials at Eno River State Park at (919) 383-1686.

New traffic signal at East Drive and Mason Farm Road

A new traffic signal is scheduled to be installed at the intersection of East Drive and Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill. The work will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Wednesday, Feb. 1 and is expected to be completed by Friday, Feb. 3. Motorists should expect delays.

Chapel Hill parking lot closed for improvements

The Rosemary-Columbia Parking Lot at 100 E. Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, during a repaving project to improve the entrance and exit lanes.

For more information about other available parking in Chapel Hill, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/parking.

Lane closures outside Walgreens on Franklin Street

Lanes will be closed on E. Franklin Street outside of the Walgreens construction area for installation of brick pavers in the median on E. Franklin Street. The inside lanes on the eastbound and westbound sides will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day through Friday, Aug. 12.

For more information, contact Ernie Rogers at (919) 969-5085 or at erogers@townofchapelhill.org.

Water may be interuppted on Nash Street properties March 5

Properties on Nash Street likely will have an interruption in water service Saturday, March 5, while utility work takes place for the Nash Street Sidewalk Project.
The work would affect properties between Revere Road and Corbin Street, with work tentatively scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Notices also were hand delivered last week to affected properties. The contractor, S.T. Wooten Corp., recommended the Saturday work to prevent interruption of water service at Hillsborough Elementary School on a weekday. The affected houses are connected to the same water main as the school.
The contractor will perform the water service tie-ins, and Hillsborough utility staff will disconnect and connect the water at the main. Town staff also will take water samples and test for water quality. If residents in the project areas have questions or concerns about their water after service is restored, please contact the Hillsborough Water Plant at 732-3621.
The Nash Street Sidewalk Project length is about 3 miles and includes construction of sidewalk along Nash Street, Revere and Faucette Mill roads and Allison, Calvin, Hayes and Union streets. It is intended to improve safety for walkers and to serve as a north-south link, connecting neighborhoods, businesses and schools as well as Gold Park and Riverwalk in the future.
For more information, contact Assistant Town Manager Nicole Ard by phone at 732-1270, ext. 77 or Public Works Supervisor Ken Hines by phone at 732-1270, ext. 78.

Update on Nash Street sidewalk construction project

Construction is returning to Hillsborough’s Nash Street Sidewalk Project, which still is on track to be completed by this summer.
During the fall and winter, plans were revised and additional funding was approved by the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners to help address utility conflicts identified by the location and age of existing water/sewer lines. The revised plans include installation of new water and sewer pipes and additional stormwater improvements on Nash Street near King and Queen streets and Alma Avenue. Additional funds also were approved for construction inspection and engineering services. The estimated project cost is now $1.4 million.
When the utility and stormwater work is finished, S.T. Wooten Corp. will perform the remaining construction work, which includes establishing the form of the sidewalk, curb and gutter; preparing the sidewalk base; pouring concrete; and restoring driveway entrances, yards and the roadway.

HAYES, UNION, QUEEN, CORBIN & NASH STREETS
Residents near Hillsborough and Central elementary schools, Hayes Street and sections of Nash Street between Hayes Street and Revere Road have new sidewalk, pipes, catch basins and other devices. The contractor worked to install new water service tie-ins Feb. 19 in the area.
In about two to three weeks, work will be performed on the water main on Nash Street between Corbin Street and Revere Road. About 12 properties will have their water service interrupted while the work is completed. Affected properties will be notified in advance by the contractor. Town staff will conduct water quality testing during the water outage. Any resident with questions or concerns following the outage should contact the Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant at 732-3621.
In the next few weeks, a separate project will replace existing storm drainage near Hayes and Nash streets. A similar project was successful at the intersection of Hayes and Foust streets. Both projects will help collect flows from the Nash Street Sidewalk Project’s curb, gutter and other storm drainage improvements.

FAUCETTE MILL/U.S. 70
The trench work seen at the intersection of Short Street, Revere Road and U.S. 70 are the next sections of sidewalk, curb and gutter. The work at Short Street will build a new handicap ramp.

REVERE ROAD
Asphalt was applied in the trenches on Revere Road in preparation for the remaining concrete sidewalk to be constructed to Short Street. The asphalt work was expected to be completed by Feb. 19.

ALMA AVENUE & DAPHINE DRIVE
In addition to the utility and stormwater work under way, a separate project was conducted to grade and install new storm drain pipes at the intersection of Alma Avenue and Daphine Drive. The new improvements seem to have successfully stopped the flooding experienced for almost a decade in back yards on Nash, Alma and Daphine during severe rainstorms. The improvements also should help capture stormwater flows from the new curb, gutter and storm drain improvements on Nash Street and Revere Road.

ALLISON & CALVIN STREETS
Fencing adjacent to the new sidewalk on Allison Street is being investigated by the consulting engineer. Town and N.C. Department of Transportation staff also are evaluating the area of Nash and Calvin streets near the increasingly popular Hillsborough Station Center, which houses a mix of old and new businesses next to the historic Bellevue Mill. The town has received complaints of vehicles speeding, causing unsafe pedestrian crossing of the state-owned road. The current sidewalk plans include installation of a new crosswalk. However, review and contact with businesses may identify additional improvements. In the interim, motorists are reminded to please drive carefully in the area and obey posted speed limits.
Regarding another popular destination, the Town Board authorized staff on Feb. 14 to solicit proposals for design and research-related work for Riverwalk Phase II and the Calvin Street connection to Gold Park/Riverwalk Phase I. The effort will help plan for the next phase of this existing recreation and tourist destination. The town will seek grant funds to support Phase II of the Riverwalk project.

DRIVEWAYS
The contractor will work on one-half of a driveway entrance at a time. This provides access to half of the entrance while concrete cures on the other half. Property owners/occupants will receive notice of driveway work to help plan accordingly. Because the contractor may need time to connect the existing driveway and new concrete sidewalk, gravel will be added to driveway entrances to help drivers enter and exit. Affected occupants should contact Assistant Town Manager Nicole Ard or the consulting engineers if they have a problem accessing their driveways or if additional stone is needed.

QUESTIONS/CONTACTS
For information on the Nash Street Sidewalk Project, visit the town’s Web site to view an electronic version of the approved plans. The plans are divided into sections by street name. Locate a street on the guide to find the related plan sheet number.
If you have questions or concerns about the project, contact Assistant Town Manager Nicole Ard by e-mail at or phone at 732-1270 Ext. 77 or Public Works Supervisor Ken Hines by e-mail or phone at 732-1270 Ext. 78.
The project engineer is Bobby Downes with Summit Consulting Engineers. He may be contacted at 732-3883 or robert.downes@summit-engineer.com. If he is not available, ask for Engineer Mitch Connell.