TOWN OF CARY TO kick off comment period for U.S. 1/64 PUBLIC ART PROJECT TODAY

CARY, NC –Pedestrians, motorists, and area residents who travel on or near U.S. 1/64 in Cary are preparing to give their input on the look of a new bridge when the Town of Cary kicks off the public display of the finalists’ artwork for the U.S. 1/64 Pedestrian Greenway Bridge on Monday, June 26 at Cary Town Hall, 316 N. Academy St. from 5-7 p.m.

As part of the kick-off, the Town’s Citizen Advisory Artist Selection Panel will present the five final public art proposals that are candidates to appear on a new pedestrian bridge that will span U.S. 1/64 and link two parks – MacDonald Woods Park and Kids Together Park .  Citizens will then have the opportunity to view the art and submit comments at three area locations: Cary Town Hall , June 26-30; Cary Towne Center , June 30-July 10, and Wake County ’s Cary Public Library, July 10-July 16.  Comments may also be posted on the Public Art section of the Town’s Web site, www.townofcary.org, following the kick off.

The public comment period follows the artists’ presentation of their proposals to the Selection Panel on June 16 and June 22. 

“We invite everyone to come out and take part in this opportunity to impact the look of Cary ,” said Town Public Art Coordinator Denise Dickens.  “This highly visible bridge is sure to become one of Cary’s most memorable landmarks for years to come, so don’t miss this chance to have a voice in this vital project.”

On July 28, the Artist Selection Panel will make final recommendations, 8:30 a.m. - noon ; in August 2006, the Artist Selection Panel will make a final recommendation to the Council-appointed Public Art Advisory Board.  The Town Council will review the recommendation in October 2006.

The first of its kind in Cary , the 12-feet-wide and 315-feet-long bridge will serve as a welcoming, aesthetic feature for motorists entering Cary .  The bridge is just one part of the N.C. Department of Transportation and Town of Cary’s joint $58-million U.S. 1/64 widening project to improve U.S. 1/64 from south of the I-40 interchange to the U.S. 64/Tryon Road interchange in Cary.  NCDOT completed the bridge design, and the Town of Cary acquired the right-of-way.  The two agencies split the estimated total cost for construction of the bridge – nearly $1.5 million.  

The public art is part of the Town of Cary ’s Public Art Master Plan, which provides long-term guidelines and recommendations for integrating and placing public art throughout the Town.  The specific goals for the project, as considered by the Public Art Advisory Board and adopted by Town Council includes:  serve as a welcoming landmark and create a memorable sense of place; relate to vehicular and pedestrian traffic; contribute to the visual character and texture of the community, select the highest quality art work in the most suitable style, scale, and materials, and involve the community in the creative process.

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