NCDOT to get community input on I-440 interchange improvements at Glenwood Avenue
NCDOT Division 5 Engineer Joey Hopkins announced Thursday they'll hold listening sessions in September to get input from the community about the I-440 Interchange Improvements at Glenwood Avenue project.
Some residents are concerned the project will push traffic into their communities.
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The project is meant to improve congestion and safety on Glenwood Avenue near Crabtree Valley Mall.
"Traffic always backs up and makes everything more complicated," said Tripp Shaw, of Raleigh, who drives on that stretch multiple times a day. "The flow is not always smooth so it's not very useful all the time."
No designs are in place yet but changes could include replacing Bridge 494, which carries Blue Ridge Road over Crabtree Creek.
NCDOT is also looking into ways to address traffic around the mall and improve bike and pedestrian connections in the area. They're also studying the Ridge Road/I-440 interchange but changes to Ridge Road won't be part of the project.
The project is estimated to cost $231.3 million and is already funded, Hopkins said.
NCDOT said the project also addresses safety in the area.
"There have been over 500 crashes in that area over the last five years so there's a lot of need out there and our job is to figure out how to address that need but also respect the community's values," said Hopkins.
But some residents are concerned the project will push traffic into their communities.
"Its purpose seems to be to provide a driveway into the shopping center," said Roger Lewis.
"So it benefits the mall, not the homeowners," said Louise Lewis. "That right there is a big source of contention."
"I have a 7-year-old daughter," said Denisse Lemos. "My concern is safety but also the integrity of the neighborhood that we live in, the people that walk, the people that ride their bikes, run."
Construction is slated to start next year and be completed in 2022. But that could change.
Jeffrey Tallaksen doesn't think the congestion is so bad. He installs glass at Glass Doctor of Raleigh and just moved to North Carolina from Georgia.
"I can see where it would be a little frustrating and it'd probably help to get some relief but it's not as bad as it is in Atlanta," said Tallaksen.
Shaw is hopeful the project will cut down his drive time.
"I'm always happy to hear about improvements," he said. "Hopefully construction doesn't mess things up but I guess that's part of progress right?"
