Town of Cary and NCDOT Turn on Traffic Signals at Green Level to Durham Road/Cary Glen Boulevard Intersection
Agencies collaborated to accelerate installation, address immediate safety concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2009
CARY, NC – About one month after approving plans for a traffic signal at the Green Level to Durham Road at Cary Glen Boulevard intersection to address safety concerns, the Town of Cary and the N.C. Department of Transportation have completed the installation, and the signals will begin flashing this evening just after rush hour; the signals are expected to begin regular operations on Thursday, August 13 following morning rush hour. While the signals are on flash, motorists should use caution as they travel through the intersection, stopping and yielding to traffic if they have a flashing red light and proceeding with caution if they have a yellow flashing light.
While this type of project typically takes up to six months to complete, the two agencies, along with other partners such as Progress Energy, expedited the process, beating their original estimate of 60 days and getting the signal installed prior to the start of the traditional calendar school year. NCDOT authorized the intersection’s signalization following the results of a recent engineering study and traffic count that met the criteria to warrant a traffic signal.
In addition to the traffic lights, the intersection improvements include pedestrian signal heads with pushbuttons and countdown timers to enhance the safety of pedestrians in the area.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of those who live in and travel through Cary , and we appreciate the NCDOT’s working with us to address safety concerns,” said Town of Cary Engineering Director Tim Bailey . “The signal is a first step, and we will continue to work with the State to research long-term options for maintaining a high level of safety in this area.”
The Town has received many suggestions for increasing travel safety in the area as well as several requests for a formal public input process. Therefore, the Town and NCDOT will work together on a long-term corridor study of Green Level to Durham Road from Morrisville Parkway to McCrimmon Parkway . The corridor study will identify and prioritize safety and operational concerns and generate a range of options based on public input. The study is slated to kick off in late summer/early fall.
Green Level to Durham Road and the Cary Glen intersection are owned and maintained by the State; Cary and NCDOT worked together to fund the installation totaling $60,000, and the Town will pay the estimated $50,000 for the corridor study.
For more on transportation issues in Cary, including dynamic traffic information, visit www.townofcary.org.
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PRIMARY CONTACTS: |
Tim Bailey, Director of Engineering, (919) 469-4034 |
