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Consider Requesting a Highway Project Swap in the 2024-2033 State Transportation Improvement Plan.
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Staff:
Department:
Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manager, Interim Planning Director
Manager's Office
Bergen Watterson, Transportation Planning Manager
Planning
Overview: The Town has an opportunity to request that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) swap highway projects for inclusion in the 2024-2033 State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). Due to NCDOT budget issues, the draft 2024-2023 STIP contains fewer projects than expected, removing numerous projects that had been previously included in the 2020-2029 STIP. The process up until now has included only state priorities, and NCDOT is currently accepting input from local jurisdictions.
The 2020-2029 STIP included six highway projects in Chapel Hill, but the new draft 2024-2033 STIP only includes one project - widening/capacity improvements along NC 54 from Barbee Chapel Road to the US 15-501 interchange (U-5774B), at a projected cost of $66.3 million. The Town can request to swapping out the NC 54 project for another eligible highway project, as long as those projects are of similar or lower cost to NCDOT. Staff recommends removing the NC 54 project and including widening/capacity improvements on US 15-501 between Ephesus Church Road and I-40 (U-5304F) in the STIP, at a projected cost of $33.7 million. This recommendation is due to the higher concentration of recent and future recent development proposals in the area.
As noted in the attached staff memorandum, there are other eligible highway projects along US 15-501 that the Town could request be added to the 2024-2033 STIP as long as the total cost falls under $73 million. but staff's recommendation is to only request the addition of the US 15-501 improvements between Ephesus Church Road and I-40 (U-5304F).
Recommendation(s):
That the Council adopt a resolution requesting that NCDOT include the widening/capacity...
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