PEMBROKE – North Odum Street/Prospect
Road – a major entrance for the UNC Pembroke campus in Robeson County – will be
reconstructed to include bicycle lanes, two roundabouts and a landscaped
median.
The innovative design will improve traffic and pedestrian safety by
reducing the five-lane road into one lane in each direction and directing
vehicles from the side streets to turn right. Motorists wanting to go in the
opposite direction will make a U-turn or use a roundabout. Sidewalks, crosswalks
and pedestrian signals will be added, too, making it safer for the many students
who cross the road every day.
“This project will make the road much safer for pedestrians and
bicyclists,” Janet Whetstone-Perez, the Sandhills regional traffic safety
engineer for NCDOT. “People will have fewer lanes to cross, and the median will
provide a refuge for pedestrians. The roundabouts also will improve traffic flow
and safety.”
The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a nearly $5
million contract to BMCO Construction Inc. of Lumberton to overhaul almost a
mile of the campus route between West Third Street and just north of Cornith
Street.
The improvements are in step with a departmental goal to
promote multimodal uses of travel and find solutions to improve the safety of
pedestrians and motorists alike. This short video shows how the new road will look and function.
Officials at the 6,300-student university in Robeson County are
pleased the road improvements will coincide with their plans for campus growth.
Coinciding with the DOT project, the university plans to construct a new School
of Business building as well as renovate its campus entrance, both facing
Prospect Road.
“We are grateful to state leaders and the Department of
Transportation for this investment in UNC Pembroke and our community,” said
Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings. “Most importantly, the project will improve
safety, which is the university’s top priority. It will also enhance the first
impression of our campus and accommodate growth that will result from UNCP’s
inclusion in the NC Promise Tuition Plan.”
The contractor can begin work in April, the project is expected to
be completed by fall 2019. Permanent vegetative work will be completed by spring
2020. During construction, motorist can expect occasional lane closures.
This five-lane campus
route will be revamped.
Media Contact: Andrew Barksdale
919-707-2662
acbarksdale@ncdot.gov