Council to seek DOT ‘express design’ for town-center intersections, potential road extension
Loading...
Summary
Town Manager Mark told council he will pursue a DOT-funded 'express design' to produce preliminary designs and ballpark cost estimates for several intersections that would support a proposed Town Center development and to study extending Old Cane Creek Road to connect to Howard Gap; council signaled support for submitting the project to the MPO prioritization process.
Town Manager Mark summarized a recent meeting with the regional metropolitan planning organization and NCDOT staff about transportation improvements tied to a possible Town Center development. He recommended pursuing DOT’s "express design" option, which would fund preliminary engineering and cost estimates for key intersections and concepts — not construction — to inform permitting and developer negotiations.
Mark identified candidate locations for study that include Howard Gap, Fanny Bridge, Cane Creek, St. John's and the stretch down to Old Airport. He also described a proposal to extend Old Cane Creek Road south of Town Hall to Howard Gap to create a new connection that would support the town-center layout. "This is only a design concept," a council member stressed; the express design would give the town and developer clearer cost expectations and could make driveway permitting easier.
Councilors discussed timing and funding constraints, noting that prioritization does not guarantee construction and that available DOT funding may be limited for several years. Mark said getting cost estimates now would aid negotiations if the developer is expected to bear some infrastructure costs and recommended submitting the concept to the Henderson County TAC and MPO prioritization process.
