Local businesses throughout Orange County are used to a small decrease in traffic during the summer months. But with some construction projects happening near some local businesses this summer, it can keep additional customers away.
Hillsborough is experiencing this due to construction near a handful of local businesses. The town is undergoing major roadwork to improve connections to the Riverwalk greenway and pedestrian access to commercial areas on South Nash Street.
Mayor Tom Stevens says between the new crosswalks, sidewalks and curbs being built, the businesses along that stretch can easily get passed over. He encourages residents and visitors to not be scared away.
“There are a lot of cones and a lot of ribbons,” Stevens says. “But all the businesses are open, and they will maintain access to their places of business.”
Stevens says the construction is moving right along and will still be very beneficial for the growing commercial area in West Hillsborough.
“They’ll be pouring part of the new sidewalks,” Stevens says. “They’ve completed a lot of the curbing down from the Nash Street businesses down to Calvin Street where the Riverwalk entrance is in Gold Park.”
Carrboro is facing similar challenges with construction this summer. Since a large part of South Greensboro Street is closed to install a roundabout over the next few weeks, detours were created around the area. But the town wants residents to not let the construction deter them from coming downtown and visiting Greensboro Street businesses.
Carrboro mayor Lydia Lavelle spoke with WCHL’s Aaron Keck earlier this summer about the town’s efforts to promote the businesses around the closed section.
“We want people to not shy away because it’s still so easy to get around there,” Lavelle said.
The town made a significant social media push to communicate detours and still reminds residents about the open shops. Lavelle also said Carrboro got some help from Google to alert drivers.
“We’re pleased that Google Maps has been updated to show that particular section is closed,” she said. “We also have been working on some signage, some smaller signs and a big sign on different buildings, because we want people to come and enjoy downtown.”
While Chapel Hill is not facing large-scale projects like Hillsborough and Carrboro, there are many smaller improvement projects happening throughout the summer. Resurfacing done on main roads like Franklin Street, Columbia Street and Cameron Avenue has caused some drivers to take detours.
Most of these projects across Orange County are expected to be completed before the beginning of fall.
Photo via the Department of Transportation.
Related Stories
‹
Hillsborough Approves Development of Town Wide Equity PlanLast week, the Town of Hillsborough unanimously passed a motion for the development of a town wide equity plan.
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
2025 Election Results for Local Races in Orange County and PittsboroTuesday marked Election Day for local races across North Carolina. Here are the vote tallies for Orange County and Pittsboro's elections.
Participant Applications Open for 2025 Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday ParadeApplications to participate in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade are open, calling for local organizations with diverse traditions.
Labor Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County Community (2025)Monday marks the observance of Labor Day, which is meant to celebrate the contribution of workers and employees across the United States. With that, the local governments in Orange County will be giving many of their employees the day off, which will affect certain local government services. Ahead of the holiday on Monday, September 1, […]
Chapel Hill Approves Rezoning for Greene Tract Site, Hears Next Steps for DevelopmentThe Chapel Hill Town Council is making progress on developing the Greene Tract, meeting in June to rezone part of the site.
Celebration of July 4 to Alter Local Government Services in Orange CountyThe celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what will and won’t be happening that week: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday. Residential trash pickup will not be affected. Commercial trash will […]
Orange Rural Fire Department Responds to Blaze at Hillsborough Storage FacilityThe Orange Rural Fire Department responded to a commercial structure fire at the Surety Storage facility in Hillsborough late Tuesday night. Surety Storage is located at 2707 North Carolina Highway 86 South. According to a release from the fire department, the first engine to arrive quickly reported smoke and fire conditions from “several” storage units […]
Hillsborough Man Wins More Than $500,000 From Lottery TicketDaniel Allison of Hillsborough won a $512,111 prize off of a $1 lottery ticket last week. Allison bought his ticket for the Cash 5 game online, then matched all five drawn numbers to win the jackpot. The odds of such a win are 1 in 962,598. Allison claimed his prize at the lottery headquarters in […]
Juneteenth Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange CountyThe 2025 celebration of Juneteenth will take place on Thursday, June 19. Here’s a list of what services will be altered in Orange County:
›
