The Town of Chapel Hill is officially delaying construction on the Estes Drive Connectivity Project until spring 2022, meaning timelines on updated sidewalks and new bike lanes will be pushed back.

While the town had planned to begin construction on these improvements this past fall, the work would have disrupted a gas line running under the street, which officials said is needed for homes with gas heat during the winter.

“We ran into a gas line that was there that needs to be moved,” said Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger. “There will be better weather and opportunities for doing so when we’re not expecting freezing temperatures.”

The project is slated to construct sidewalks, crossing and intersection improvements as well as raised bike lanes along Estes Drive.

“The end result will be a road that is nicer to walk along, easier to bike on, and less congested at the MLK/Estes intersection,” read a Chapel Hill release on the project’s delayal.

News of the Estes Drive Connectivity Project’s brief delay came before two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle on the road Friday night. Reports from the Chapel Hill Police Department said the people sustained “serious injuries” after being hit near the crosswalk for Caswell Road near Phillips Middle School.

Now, construction is expected to begin in March or April depending on the weather. Once it begins, the town says Estes Drive will be limited to one-way eastbound traffic between MLK Boulevard and Caswell Road for the majority of construction, which is expected to take a year.

Proposed map for the Estes Drive Connectivity Project (Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.)

The Estes Drive Connectivity Project is a federally-funded project with 80 percent of funding coming from the federal government and a 20 percent local match. On the north side of the road, which includes the Chapel Hill Public Library, two schools and the planned Aura development, there will be a five-foot bike lane and a ten-foot multiuse path.

According to a recent press release, town staff have been in communication with school officials to come up with strategies to “minimize the impact to school bus routes and regular pick-up and drop-off locations” in that area.

Learn more about the Estes Drive Connectivity Project here.

 

Lead photo via Town of Chapel Hill. 

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