Some of the preparations for the construction of a new bridge on Forestville Road over Sanford Creek have begun. Wake Electric closed the Song Sparrow Drive entrance to Thornrose subdivision today, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to install conduit for the utility relocation required as part of the bridge construction. Blythe Construction is scheduled to begin work on that bridge on Wednesday, July 1.
As the Gazette reported in the April 15 issue, the schedule for replacing three bridges in Wake Forest has changed again. A fourth replacement project, the bridge over Horse Creek on Purnell Road, is underway and should be finished in midsummer.
The three bridges are those over Sanford Creek on Forestville Road, over Richland Creek on West Oak Avenue/Wall Road, and over Smith Creek on Rogers Road.
The Forestville Road replacement project was scheduled to begin this month but has now been pushed back to begin Wednesday, July 1. The work on West Oak Avenue, once planned to begin in July will now begin in late September. The work on Rogers Road, which includes widening the road from its intersection with South Franklin Street to the intersection with Forestville and Heritage Lake roads, is slated to begin in March 2016 and be completed that August.
Now that we know Columbia Properties Inc. will build the Shoppes at Heritage Village with its Publix grocery store anchor at the intersection of Forestville and Rogers roads, we can look forward to some interesting traffic congestion next spring.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has worked with the Town of Wake Forest and the Wake County Public School System to set out detour routes for each project. The town has set up a web page, www.wakeforestnc.gov/operation-bridge-exchange.aspx, to keep residents informed about the four projects it calls Operation Bridge Exchange (OBE).
Residents are already using the detour for the Purnell Road replacement, which involves using Capital Boulevard, Jenkins Road and Thompson Mill Road.
The detour for the Forestville Road closure will send drivers to Burlington Mills Road, South Main Street and Rogers Road. Go to www.wakeforestnc.gov/forestville-road-bridge-replacement.aspx to see the route. The work will go on from July 1 and last through November.
There will be a lengthy closure for the West Oak Avenue bridge replacement because the project will begin Sept. 29, which will leave only a month or so before winter sets in. DOT expects to complete the demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge in the fall but grading and paving cannot be done until the end of winter weather in 2016. See www.wakeforestnc.gov/oak-avenue-bridge-replacement.aspx.
The replacements are part of a $9.2-million eight bridge design/build contract for Wake County DOT let last year to Blythe Construction. Because of the three Heritage schools on Forestville and Rogers roads, school, town and state officials have all pledged to make the construction detours and other necessary adjustments as painless as possible.
All four local bridges are safe to use but are considered either structurally deficient, functionally obsolete or both and require constant repairs, leading to the decision to replace them.
The Blythe contract is part of DOT’s state-funded Bridge Improvement Program to improve the overall condition of the state’s bridges. The department is investing $810 million over four years to rebuild, preserve or rehabilitate bridges.
Construction dates for all the bridge replacements are tentative and subject to change, as they already have.
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Work on the North Main Street project to replace street lighting and sidewalks is underway and motorists should be cautious and obey signs and signals when driving on the street.
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Engineers from Summit Design and Engineering Services will soon present a pavement condition survey to the Town of Wake Forest. It will prioritize those streets needing resurfacing and rehabilitation, and it will be used as the town decides which streets will be included in the next street rehabilitation program.
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Town staff is working with the state Department of Transportation on the planned Ligon Mill Road bridge replacement project. Currently the plan is for construction to begin in December 2016, but that will change because of the bridge replacements in 2015 and 2016 on Forestville and Rogers roads.
Town staff is requesting a sidewalk on the east side near the Whippoorwill subdivision and greenway amenities on the north side of Smith Creek as well as a center turn lane.
Song Sparrow Drive will need to be connected to Thorn Rose subdivision for the detour during construction, and there will be a public meeting about this.
DOT is reviewing the feasibility and costs for a pedestrian culvert versus an underpass.
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If you are interested in the Wake County transit planning now under way, you can learn more at www.waketransit.com.
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The construction plans for the Stadium Drive Complete Streets project are complete and the town staff is requesting reimbursement from DOT for part of the funds.
This plan will widen Stadium Drive and add a roundabout at the intersection of Stadium, Wingate Street and North Avenue. North Avenue will also be rebuilt.
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Caddell, an old and not well known street, will be rebuilt this year and Grandmark, a much-needed new street, will also be completed this year.
Caddell runs only south from Spring Street to Pearce Avenue and is rutted dirt. A Wake County grant of $513,878 for 80 percent of the estimated cost, will allow the street to be rebuilt with two lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalks. Advertising for bids will begin in the spring; construction will take four to five months. Construction plans are now 60 percent complete.
Only 500 feet remain to connect Grandmark from Capcom Avenue to the Grandmark near the ballfields behind The Factory, a connection that can siphon some Capcom Avenue traffic to Rogers Road and a traffic signal for left turns.
Recently the town received a DOT grant of $110,000 toward the $185,000 total to build the street section. There is some money left in the town fund for unpaved roads and an adjoining land owner will contribute $25,000 to make up the total.
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 16, the town board approved a contract with Wetherill Engineering to design the short street section. That contract will not be more than $69,059.34.
