The next phase of the Estes Drive Connectivity Project is leading to even more of the popular road being converted to one-way traffic, according to the Town of Chapel Hill.

A release from the local government said starting the week of January 30, the stretch of Estes Drive from Somerset Drive to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be shut off to west-bound traffic. Largely, residents who use Somerset Drive and those with driveways along that part of Estes Drive will be affected, according to the town. The change is for contractors to pick up work on new sidewalks and a bike lane on the south side of Estes Drive.

The closure is consistent with the other traffic patterns along the road, as west-bound vehicles have been detoured from the area since April 2022. Previously, the one-way area along Estes Drive stretched from Somerset Drive to the eastern-most intersection with Caswell Road. The new pattern of extended one-way traffic is expected to last until the connectivity project’s construction is complete.

An aerial graphic of the one-way traffic pattern along North Estes Drive in Chapel Hill. The pattern now extends all the way to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, after vehicles could previously drive west from Somerset Drive. (Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.)

Once complete, the Estes Drive Connectivity Project will bring several new features meant to help with bicycle and foot traffic along the road. Contractors will eventually construct separated bike lanes on each side of Estes Drive, expanded and extended sidewalks until Caswell Road, and new turning lanes onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

If the project’s timeline stays the course shared by the Town of Chapel Hill, the next phases of construction will require closures near the intersection of MLK Boulevard and Estes Drive, as crew expand the road and create an additional left turning lane on Estes. Right turn lanes from MLK to Estes will also be constructed, since the sidewalk will also be installed along part of Estes Drive Extension.

To learn more about the Estes Drive Connectivity Project, visit the Town of Chapel Hill’s webpage on the effort.

 

Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.

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