TOWN OF CARY OPENS ALL LANES OF DAVIS DRIVE WIDENING PROJECT IN CARY

New Highway Offers Safety Enhancements and Multi-Modal Alternatives

CARY, NC – A new and improved Davis Drive is the “Talk of the Town” – the Town of Cary, that is – now that all four lanes of the Davis Drive Widening Project are open from just south of Sherwood Forest Place to just north of Morrisville-Carpenter Road.  The 3.5-mile section was widened from variable widths to four lanes with a median and curb and gutter.

“We are very pleased to announce the substantial completion of this vital project,” said Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister.  “This opening is another example of our continuing commitment to improving the quality of life for every citizen – motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians – wanting safe and efficient travel in the area.”

As part of the project, the outer lanes were widened to 14-feet to accommodate bicyclists.  Also, pedestrians are now taking advantage of the new 10-feet wide Davis Drive Multi-use Trail that was installed along the entire length of the project on the west side and will connect with four greenways.  A new 5-feet wide sidewalk spans the east side of the project.

Drivers will also notice new safety improvements along Davis Drive .  The High House Road intersection was realigned to improve sight distance, and dual turn lanes were installed at the interchange.  In addition, three new traffic signals were installed along the corridor – at Park Village Way , Preston Village Way and Morrisville Parkway intersections.

“Overall, the roadway improvements have cut travel times through this section nearly in half,” said Project Engineer Glen Harrell. “The traffic signals are being included in the new Town-wide Computerized Signal System beginning this summer, which will ease congestion even further.”

The entire project is expected to be complete by June 2006, with final pavement surface and pavement markings installed north of High House Road March 15 through June 7, 2006 .  Workers are completing the installation of sidewalks in the same area, and crews are also working on the activation of the traffic signals at Preston Village Way and Morrisville Parkway .

The $17.6 million project began in fall 2003 and was funded in part by $15 million in General Obligation (GO) Bonds from the 1999 and 2003 Cary Community Bond referendums.

The Davis Drive corridor is being completed in two separate projects, including the Town of Cary section and a N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) section.  The NCDOT will be widening the section from north of Morrisville-Carpenter Road to N.C. 54, which is scheduled to begin as early as July 2006.  For more on the project, see Davis Drive Widening Project at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 460-4933.

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