Description

The N.C. Department of Transportation is proposing to construct the East End Connector in Durham. The proposed project would provide a direct connection between the Durham Freeway (NC 147) and US 70 (Miami Boulevard), as well as make improvements to US 70 from Pleasant Drive to north of Holloway Street (NC 98).

News and Updates

NCDOT received a number of requests from citizens regarding access to US 70 at Carr Road. Specifically, they requested that the proposed partial interchange be redesigned to a full movement interchange, allowing motorists to access US 70 at Carr Road and travel either east or west on US 70. The full interchange also would maintain a connection to US 70 from the Hayestown neighborhood, which currently accesses US 70 from East End Avenue. The NCDOT has agreed to make this change to the Carr Road interchange in the final roadway design.

Newsletters

• Vol 5 Newsletter (Sept. 2010)
• Vol 4 Newsletter (March 2010)
• Actualización del Proyecto East End Connector (Marzo 2010)

Public Meeting

• March 2010 Meeting Handout

The NCDOT and City of Durham project team met to review comments received from the public at the public hearing and subsequent comment period. The document below provides a summary of that meeting.

• Project Post Hearing Meeting / Coordination with City of Durham Meeting

Environmental

• Environmental Assessment (9.8 MB)

Hard copies of the Environmental Assessment are available for public review at the following locations:

• The City of Durham, 101 City Hall Plaza (4th floor), Durham
• NCDOT Highway Division 5 office, 2612 N. Duke Street, Durham

Next Steps

All comments received at the hearing and during the 30-day comment period following the hearing will be recorded as part of the public record for the project. After review of the input provided by the public, local government, and regulatory agencies, NCDOT intends to prepare a Finding of No Significance Impact (FONSI) report prior to Fall, 2010. Previously, right-of-way acquisition was schedule for 2010 with construction beginning in 2013. However, NCDOT is reevaluating this schedule and will announce a new schedule in summer 2010.

The Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be completed by the end of 2011. After that decision document is approved by the Federal Highway Administration, the final design plans for the East End Connector will be completed and provided to the NCDOT Right-of-Way Branch for use in right-of-way acquisition. Right-of-way acquisition is expected to begin in the late winter/early spring of 2012.

Project Overview and Purpose

In an effort to meet the current and future needs of the community and the region, the NCDOT, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of Durham and Durham County have identified the East End Connector project as a priority.

Why is this action needed?

Because there is no direct connection between the two major east-west highways in the City of Durham (Durham Freeway and US 70), motorists and truckers use other streets to access the highway system. Over the next 25 years, traffic volumes are estimated to increase significantly and without these changes additional cut-through traffic may affect local streets and communities in the area. The East End Connector would provide a link among four major transportation routes(I-85, US 70, NC 147, and I-40) and facilitate better traffic flow.

Project Highlights

This project will address the following transportation issues:

• Inefficient movement of people and goods from the north and east side of the community to major employment and retail centers located on the south side of the county.
• Limited accessibility to existing industrial property within the study area as well as land that is anticipated to be developed for industrial uses in the future.
• Forecast traffic and travel delays on local arterials due to "cut-through" traffic from the north and east accessing the Durham Freeway.
• Increased accident rates on local arterials within the study area.

Contact Information

For more information about this project, Call our Project Line: 1-800-734-7062 or contact one of the persons below.

Resources for Local Property Owners

In many cases, it is inevitable that a certain amount of private property must be acquired. The displacement of homes and businesses is minimized to the extent practicable. The following brochures will answer questions about this process.