The full reopening of North Estes Drive is just days away, according to the Town of Chapel Hill.
In the local government’s latest update on the years-long Estes Drive Connectivity Project, the town said it is targeting Wednesday, June 12 as the day to reopen the popular road to two-way traffic. The alert said the project is in its “final steps,” with repaving the road surface set to take place through the week of June 3.
According to Chapel Hill, the vast majority of the repaving will taken place overnight. Beginning on Tuesday, June 4, contractors are expected to begin working from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to lay new surface “quickly and efficiently” with less road traffic. The local government added that those nearby will likely hear heavy machinery and see additional safety lighting around the work area while the repaving is finished. Estes Drive will remain open to one-way traffic during the work period, which the town update said is estimated to take three to four nights to complete.
The project — which first broke ground in March 2022 and whose efforts date back to 2015 — will represent a major change for North Estes Drive once reopened. While most drivers will chiefly notice the return of two-way traffic patterns, the roads will also be wider than before and will have a separated bike lane. New, expanded and extended sidewalks will run along the street as well, with enhanced crosswalks and new turning lanes also part of the upgrades brought over the two years of road work in the school zone and residential area.
“Thanks so much for your understanding as we get to the finish line,” the Chapel Hill town government said in its alert on May 30. “We know this has been a long process with disruptions to your daily life. We also know that the end result will be a safer, more accessible, more connected road for all who use it.”
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson discussed the project during an interview with 97.9 The Hill on May 24. At the time, she acknowledged the finishing date of the project had been pushed back even just a few weeks prior due to poor ground conditions.
“There have been some delays due to rain — they accounted for weather, but it’s been a little mushy over there,” the mayor said at the time. “But if you’ve driven by recently, they’re actually laying pavement. It’s funny how it feels really slow, and then at the end, it speeds up and everything happens.”
Anderson said town staff are planning to do a ribbon-cutting for the new bike lanes, expanded sidewalk and road surface once the final steps are complete. She added a bigger, town-hosted event is being planned for the fall when more community members will be back in town and able to celebrate the reopening — since it marks such safety improvements to alternative transportation methods on a critical road in the community.
“The YMCA is down the street, [Booth Park] is down the street, the future bus rapid transit line is down the street [from Estes Drive],” said Anderson. “That being a walkable bike-able area is a huge deal. I know, myself included, people have been very frustrated with how long its taken all the delays due to the huge infrastructure realignment under the ground that wasn’t anticipated. It’s all been a lot — but when we get to use that amenity for the rest of our lives, it’s pretty awesome. I’m so excited it’s coming… I cannot wait.”
Additional details about the Estes Drive Connectivity Project, including past weekly updates and the project’s history, can be found on the Town of Chapel Hill website.
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