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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-06-1998 - 10cORANGECOUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 6, 1998 SUBJECT: Report on the paving of the southern end of Buckhorn Road DEPARTMENT: County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): 9/22/98 letter from Linwood Futrell of the Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Company to Norris Tolson, Secretary, NCDOT Action Agenda Item # 10- PUBLIC HEARING: Yes x No BUDGET AMENDMENT: Yes x No INFORMATION CONTACT: County Engineer Extension 2303 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough - 732 -8181 Durham - 688 -7331 Mebane - 227 -2031 Chapel Hill - 967- 9251/968 -4501 PURPOSE: To provide the BOCC with information related to the current NCDOT project for the paving of the southern end of Buckhom Road BACKGROUND: Buckhorn Road (SR 1114) is a state maintained county road approximately eight miles long, running from an intersection with US 70 on the north (just east of Mebane) to an intersection with Orange Grove Road (SR 1006) in the south. With the exception of the southern-most section, a one and one half mile segment between Bradshaw Quarry Road (SR 1115) and Orange Grove Road, Buckhorn Road has an asphalt paved travel surface. The paving of this last unpaved segment of Buckhorn Road is priority number 11 on the 1997 -98 secondary roads paving priority list. The NCDOT project to pave the last segment of Buckhorn Road is currently under construction. This project includes not only the paving of the roadway surface but acquisition of right -of -way; the relocating or realigning of the roadway to the center of the existing and new right -of -way; and the grading and clearing of the right -of -way. The existing alignment of this segment of Buckhorn road, with its narrow and uneven travel surface, blind curves, limited sight distances, overgrown right -of -way and precipitous grade changes could perhaps be characterized as scenic or quaint from an esthetic point of view. From a transportation perspective, however, these characteristics provide for low speed, an uncomfortable ride and potentially unsafe travel way. The NCDOT paving project with its associated realignment and re- grading will provide some relief from many of the transportation 2 related shortcomings of the road by removing many of the blind corners, abrupt grade changes and irregular travel surface. At least two areas of concern will remain unaddressed. The first (cited in the attached letter from the Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Company) is that existing bridge over Cane Creek (at the approximate mid -point of the segment), which is located in the middle of a pronounced "S" curve alignment and which does not provide a two lane travel way, will remain in service for the foreseeable future. NCDOT does, however, believe that the proposed clearing of the right -of -way and lowering of the shoulder on the inside portion of the blind curve at the north end of the bridge will significantly improve the limited line of sight conditions in this area. The second concern is that a segment of roadway, approximately 0.2 mile in length and located about one -half mile from the Bradshaw Quarry Road intersection, is not included in the current paving /grading project. This section of roadway has been deleted from the project, at least temporarily, because the owner of the land adjacent to that segment of the roadway will not give the right -of -way necessary for NCDOT to undertake the necessary construction activities. The reason that the bridge shortcomings will not be addressed is more complex than that for the non -paved segment. The bridge replacement and the secondary roads paving projects are managed by two different segments of NCDOT which use differing criteria for prioritizing projects. The paving of secondary roads in this area is under the jurisdiction of NCDOT's division office in Greensboro and is subject to a prioritization process generally based on the number of vehicles per day which utilize a road or roadway segment. Bridge replacements are under the jurisdiction of the bridge construction and maintenance section in Raleigh and are generally prioritized on the basis of the observed and projected structural integrity of the bridge itself. Although the Buckhom Road bridge over Cane Creek does not provide two full travel lanes and is poorly aligned relative to the roadway, it appears to be structurally sound. According to preliminary information from the NCDOT division office in Greensboro, the bridge does not appear to be included on the current bridge replacement priority list. The procedure for: 1) getting the Buckhom Road bridge added to a place at or near the top of the bridge replacement priority list; 2) acquiring the right -of -way necessary to realign the bridge and bridge approaches; and 3) completing bridge and approach construction is primarily a process in which local government policy makers lobby NCDOT or other state government policy makers. In the past, similar efforts have taken two to six years to achieve results. RECOMMENDATION: Receive this report from County and/or NCDOT staff as information. Tommy Holmes 6800 Orange Grove Road Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Company September 22,1998 Mr: Norris Tolson: Secretary NC Department of Transportation a s Dear Secretary Tolson, 3 Chief Hillsborough, NC 27278 919- 967 -5858 I write on behalf of the Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department, located in rural Orange County. Currently DOT is preparing to pave Rural Road 1114 (Buckhorn Road). This road crosses Cane Creek in a blind dangerous curve on a steep hill. I write to bring to your attention the lack of plans to replace the bridge and fix the hill and curve. We hope you will intervene and add the bridge upgrade to the project. Currently we can not use Rural Road 1114 to respond to fire calls in-our community if they involve crossing this bridge. The hill is too dangerous to risk .a fire truck by driving on it in its current configuration. By not being able to use Rural Road 1114, it adds nearly one mile to our response distance to the western part of our district. If the bridge was upgraded and the rest of the road paved, it would measurably improve our response time and increase the level of safety to our community. To pave the road and not improve the bridge and its approaches would be very wasteful. You will create is a crash zone when motorist driving at paved road speed comes upon this hill and narrow bridge. I would think that DOT would not want to create a such a safety hazard when the goal is to improve rural roads. Please review the plans for Rural Road 1114 and add the bridge upgrade to the project. S,4ely, Linwood Futrel e President, Board of Directors Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Company Linwood @.unc.edu or 919- 929 -5811 (h)