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PROJECT WORKBOOK 3-1 Weant Road Feasibility Study PROJECT BACKGROUND The City of Archdale in cooperation with the High Point Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (HPMPO) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) commissioned the creation of a corridor study for the Hwy 62 corridor. The project limits included the section of road from Fairfield Road east to the US Hwy 311 Bypass. The primary emphasis of the study was to develop an interim and longterm transportation strategy that responds to changing conditions along the corridor. The study considered safety, traffic operations, access management, land use, environment and multimodal accommodations. The study included a robust public outreach process including Steering Committee meetings, stakeholder interviews, design charrette, workshop, and council presentation. The outcome of the planning process was a series of deliverables including: Preferred Access Strategy : This exhibit communicates an agreed upon access configuration for the corridor including the location of future traffic signals, rightinrightout, and directional crossovers. Connector Street Plan : This deliverable conveys the recommended side street connectivity that supports the preferred access strategy and reduces motorist reliance on key intersection movements through the creation of alternative routes. Most of these streets will be implemented incrementally as development occurs. Concept Design : A typical crosssection and concept design were prepared for the preferred alternative. The design includes sufficient design to reinforce the preferred access strategy, preliminary laneage and intersection capacity, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, opportunities for lighting and landscaping. Perspective from the Hwy 62 Corridor Study
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Weant Road Feasibility Study

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  • PROJECT WORKBOOK

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    WeantRoadFeasibilityStudy

    PROJECT BACKGROUND TheCityofArchdaleincooperationwiththeHighPointUrbanAreaMetropolitan Planning Organization (HPMPO) and the NorthCarolinaDepartmentofTransportation(NCDOT)commissionedthecreationofa corridor study for theHwy62 corridor. TheprojectlimitsincludedthesectionofroadfromFairfieldRoadeasttotheUSHwy311Bypass.Theprimaryemphasisofthestudywastodevelopan interimand longterm transportation strategy that responds tochanging conditions along the corridor. The study consideredsafety, traffic operations, access management, land use,environment and multimodal accommodations. The studyincluded a robust public outreach process including SteeringCommittee meetings, stakeholder interviews, design charrette,workshop,andcouncilpresentation. Theoutcomeoftheplanningprocesswasaseriesofdeliverablesincluding:

    Preferred Access Strategy: This exhibit communicates an agreeduponaccessconfigurationforthecorridor includingthe locationoffuturetrafficsignals,rightinrightout,anddirectionalcrossovers.

    ConnectorStreetPlan:Thisdeliverableconveys the recommendedsidestreetconnectivitythatsupportsthepreferredaccessstrategyand reduces motorist reliance on key intersection movementsthrough the creationof alternative routes. Mostof these streetswillbeimplementedincrementallyasdevelopmentoccurs.

    Concept Design: A typical crosssection and concept design wereprepared for the preferred alternative. The design includessufficient design to reinforce the preferred access strategy,preliminary laneage and intersection capacity, pedestrian andbicycleaccommodations,opportunitiesforlightingandlandscaping.

    PerspectivefromtheHwy62CorridorStudy

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    WEANT ROAD AT NC 62: DEFINING THE PROBLEM Thecorridorstudyprocessconfirmedaheavynorthboundleftturnmovementduring the morning peak period(7:00am9:00am). This movement isrelated to commuter and schoolgenerated traffic. There were alsonumerous groups and individuals thatexpressed the desire for a traffic signal to be installed at thislocation.However,thecloseproximityofthisintersectiontotheI85 interchange ramps (approx 400 feet) is in direct conflict withaccepted spacing standards (1,0001,500). Signalization at thislocationwouldresultininefficienttrafficprogressionresultingfrominadequatespacing.Thereisalsoadocumentedconcernrelatedtothequeuingofvehiclesandtheirpotentialtoblockorinterferewithintersectionoperationsandsafety. Forthisreason,signalizationatthe existing Weant Road intersection has not been endorsed bylocal agencies and is not recommended in the Hwy 62 CorridorStudy.

    Further complicating this intersection is thehighvolumeof trafficprojectedtopassthroughtheintersection.2035trafficprojectionsanticipate27,600vehiclesperdayonNC62inthevicinityofWeantRoad. In response to the geometric conditions and projectedvolumes a series of alternatives were evaluated. The preferredrecommendation includedtherealignmentofexistingWeantRoadtoapointoppositeexistingModlinGroveRoad.Theresultingfourwayintersectionincreasesthedistancefromtheinterchangeramps

    an amount acceptable for future signalization. Other alignmentoptionswereconsidered includingtherealignmentofWeantRoadutilizingBluewoodCourt.Whilethisoptionmovedtheintersectionaway from the I85 interchange it created anoffset configurationwithModlinGroveRoadthatfurthercomplicatedtrafficoperationsand safety. Furthermore, it did not move the intersection anacceptabledistancefromtheI85interchangeramps.

    The corridor study recommended further analysis to confirm thefeasibility of realigning the Weant Road intersection. AftercompletionofthecorridorstudytheCityofArchdaleinconjunctionwiththeHPMPOcommissionedtheWeantRoadFeasibilityStudy.

    WORKBOOK Thisworkbookservesasasummaryof theWeantRoadFeasibilityStudy and includes information regarding the study process,transportation design, environment, and implementation. Thecomponents of the workbook are described in the followingsubsections.

    ProjectProcess

    Theworkbookoffersabriefoverviewoftheplanningprocessusedto identify issues, create alternatives, develop evaluation criteria,andultimatelyformulaterecommendations.

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    ConceptDevelopment

    Theworkbookprovidesasummaryofalternativesgeneratedduringthe study. Theexpressed intentwas toevaluatea setofoptions.Eachoption includeda common characteristic, the realignmentofWeantRoaddirectlyoppositeModlinGroveRoad.

    ConceptEvaluation

    A systematic evaluation of traffic operations and safety wasdevelopedtoassessthecurrentconditionswithinthestudyareaaswellastheprojectedhorizonyear (2035)conditions. Thisanalysisof capacityand safetydeficienciesbecame the cornerstone in theevaluationofthepreferredalignment.

    PreferredAlternative

    The roadway realignment conceptswere all intended to improvesafety, address projected capacity deficiencies, and minimizeenvironmental (human and natural) impacts. The preferredalternative therefore represents the option that best responds tothese criteria. In effect, it was the responsibility of projectparticipantsto identifyanalternativethatrespondstothedefinedproject needs, was consistent with the established designparameters,andcomplementedthecorridorcontext.

    ActionPlan

    Theprojectprocesswasdevelopedwith implementation inmind.The Action Plan is intended to provide guidance on next steps,potentialfunding,andastrategyforimplementation.

    Appendix

    TheAppendixprovidesdocumentationofthetrafficandairqualityanalysis,concepts,resourcemapping,andfunctionaldesignplansaswellasthedatautilizedintheirdevelopment.

    AviewtotheeastalongHwy62

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    PROJECT PROCESS WeantRoad isatwolaneregionallysignificantcorridorthatservesthegrowing suburban residentialpopulation inArchdaleprovidingconnectionstoUS311Bus(MainStreet),USHwy311/FutureI74and I85. With land development trends and traffic growthanticipated to increase over time, local officialswill face growingpressure to address operational and safety concerns at theintersectionofNC62andWeantRoad.

    The Weant Road Feasibility Study allowed the City of Archdale,HPMPO,andNCDOTtopickupwherethecorridorstudyconcluded.The feasibility study allowed the Project Steering Committee theopportunity to consider alignment choices, design concepts, andsolutions that balance the competing interests of environmentalimpacts,trafficsafety,andfuturedevelopment.

    PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE TheProjectSteeringCommitteewasformedatthebeginningoftheproject to provide technical oversight for the formulation ofrecommendations and strategies. The steering committee wascomprisedofmembersoftheCityofArchdale,HighPointMPO,andthe North Carolina Department of Transportation. The steeringcommitteemet frequently during the project to provide localizedguidance,brainstorm concepts, reviewalternatives,and formulateimplementationstrategies.

    ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES Several alternatives for consideration and evaluation weredeveloped and reviewed in conjunctionwith the project steeringcommittee. Thedevelopmentof the alternativeswas focusedonthe primary objective of creating a new location for northboundWeant Road traffic to make a leftturn onto NC 62 in a mannersuitable for future traffic signalization. Intersection level trafficanalysisandcrashanalysiswasperformed toaid in theevaluationof alternatives. Air quality analysis was also included in theevaluation.

    Concept design plans, showing the horizontal geometry weredeveloped for each of the three alternatives. The intent of theconcept designs was to determine if the alignments developedcouldmeetdesigncriteriaestablishedbyNCDOT.

    ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Asapartofthisfeasibilitystudyapreliminaryenvironmentalreviewwas prepared for the study area. The environmental reviewrepresents a reasonable attempt to identify potential sources ofcontamination, significant natural features, and areas whereavoidance should be exercised. Both natural and human featureswere considered. Avoiding the built environment includedminimizingimpactstoexistingstructuresandlimitingtheamountofrightofwayrequiredforconstruction.

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    FUNCTIONAL DESIGN Upon the selection of a preferred alternative, functional designplans were prepared utilizing available topographical and aerialdata. While this information is less detailed than survey data, itrepresents an affordable means to establish a relativeunderstandingof thepotential impacts toenvironmental features,thebuiltenvironment,andprobableconstructioncost.

    Functional design plans were developed based on best practicesincluding current NCDOT and AASHTO (American Association ofStateHighwayTransportationOfficials) roadwaydesignguidelines.Horizontal and vertical functional design plans were prepared todeterminepotentialimpactsandconstructability.

    CONCEPT OVERVIEW The existing intersection between Weant Road and NC 62 isfunctionally tooclose to the I85 interchange ramps (adistanceof370feet),toaccommodatethecurrentandfuturetrafficdemandsunderitscurrentdesignconfigurationandstopcontrol.

    The NC 62 corridor study provided a recommendation for therealignment of Weant Road to occur opposite the existingintersection ofNC 62 andModlinGroveRoad. This locationwaspreferredoverothersbecauseof itsdistanceeastofthesignalizedinterchange rampsaswellas its connectivity toother streets. At1,100 feeteastof the I85 ramps, this locationprovidesoptimum

    signalspacingaswellastheabilitytominimizethe interruptionoftrafficprogressionalongNC62.

    WhilethenewterminusofWeantRoadwasidentifiedintheNC62corridorstudy,thealignmentoftherealignmentrequiredadditionalstudy. For this reason, the feasibility study explored threealternativealignments.

    ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES The study area includes a residential neighborhood located alongBluewood Court with the remainder of the area generallyundevelopedwith agricultural and forest land. Three alternativesweredeveloped,eachwithvaryingdesignfeaturesandalignments,butallachievingthedesiredterminuslocationwithNC62atModlinGroveRoad.

    All three of the alternatives utilize a standard typical sectionconsisting of a twolane shoulder section. Each alternative alsoconsidered future sidewalkplacement. Eachof thealternatives isdiscussedingreaterdetailonthefollowingpages.

    TypicalsectionoftheWeantRoadrealignment

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    ALTERNATIVE1

    Alternative1(ALT1)followsthealignmenthighlighted intheNC62CorridorStudy. ALT1departsfromtheexistingWeantRoadalignment just north of theGuilford/Randolph County line in anortheasterly direction before turning to a more northerlydirection just east of the residential homes located alongBluewoodCourt.

    ALT1providesadirectrealignmentofexistingWeantRoadtothenewproposed intersectionwithNC62andModlinGroveRoad.For northbound motorists on Weant Road this provides for aseamlesstrafficmovement.

    ALT1utilizesa50mphdesign speedwhichallows forapostedspeedlimitof45mphwhichisconsistentwiththecurrentpostedspeed limit along Weant Road. Under ALT 1 the remainingportionofexistingWeantRoadontheoriginalalignmentnorthofthepointofdivergence, is realigned toanew intersectionwiththerealignedWeantRoad.

    DesignSpeed:50mph

    Length:2,300feet

    RightofWay:3.2acres

    Consistentcorridorspeedlimit

    PotentialimpactstoRandolphCounty

    IncreasedPropertyimpactsandrightofway

    Seamlesstrafficmovement Creates18.2acreparcel

    Alternative1Alignment

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    Alternative1:ConceptDesign

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    ALTERNATIVE2

    Alternative2(ALT2)maintainstheterminuspointwithNC62andparallels Woods Lake adjacent to the residential homes. ALT 2departs froma similaralignmentwithALT1as itpasses southofthe residential homes. At this point, ALT 2 follows a westerlydirectiontoanewintersectionwithexistingWeantRoad.

    AllowingtheALT2alignmenttoterminateatexistingWeantRoadimprovesaccesstotheundevelopedpropertiesonthewestsideofexistingWeant Road aswell as those that the alignment passesthrough. Drivers with destinations such as I85 or points westwouldmakearightturnatthenew intersection. DriversheadingeastonNC62havetheoptiontocontinueonexistingWeantRoadorturnrightandutilizerealignedWeantRoad.

    ALT 2 utilizes a 40mph design speedwhich allows for a postedspeedlimitof35mphwhichisinconsistentwiththecurrentpostedspeed limit (45 mph) along Weant Road. Under ALT 2 existingWeant Road on the original alignment north of the point ofdivergence, is realigned to a new intersectionwith the realignedWeantRoad.

    DesignSpeed:40mph

    Length:1,650feet

    RightofWay:2.3acres

    Fewerpropertyimpacts Nondirectrealignment Providesdirectaccessto

    undevelopedpropertywestofexistingWeantRoad

    Creates16.2acreparcel

    Alternative2Alignment

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    Alternative2:ConceptDesign

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    ALTERNATIVE3

    Alternative3(ALT3)maintainstheterminuspointwithNC62andparallelsWoodsLakeadjacenttotheresidentialhomes(likeALTs1and2). ALT3 takes the formofALT1bututilizes tighter radiiand smaller tangent (straight) sections to compress the layout.The compression of the layout avoids any encroachment intoRandolph County aswell asminimizes the number of impactedlandparcels.

    Toachievethecompressedconfiguration,ALT3utilizesa40mphdesignspeed. Thereduceddesignspeedallowstheutilizationoftighter radii. This creates the need for a change in the postedspeedlimitalongWeantRoadfrom45mphto35mph.

    LikeALT1,ALT3realignsWeantRoadontoanew locationwhichrequiresa realignmentof thenorthernsectionofexistingWeantRoad.Underthisconfiguration,driversalongWeantRoadhaveaseamless transition to utilize the new intersection with NC 62unlikeALT2.

    DesignSpeed:40mph

    Length:1,900feet

    RightofWay:2.6acres

    Fewerpropertyimpacts Seamlessconnectiontonew

    intersectionwithNC62

    ProvidesindirectaccesstoundevelopedpropertywestofexistingWeantRoad

    Creates16.0acreparcel

    Alternative3Alignment

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    Alternative3:ConceptDesign

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    ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Thegeneralstudyareaassociatedwiththeprojectincludestheareabounded by existing Weant Road to the west, theGuilford/RandolphCountylinetothesouth,NC62tothenorthandalong Woods Lake to the east. The study area includes someresidentialusesincludingtheneighborhoodlocatedsouthofNC62along Bluefield Court. The remainder of the study area isundevelopedforestandagriculturallands.

    A field reconnaissance visit was performed for the study area inSeptember of 2010. No environmental concerns such as stainedsoils, evidence of spills or releases, or stressed vegetation wereobservedduringthefieldvisit. Environmentalfeaturessuchasthe3.8acrewoodlaketotheeast,apotentialstreamlocatedwithinthemiddle of the study area, and a potential wetland along easternedgeofexistingWeantRoadwereobserved.Onehomelocatedatthe southern boundary of the study area may be eligible forinclusion in the national registry of historic homes. It should benotedthatthehomeisindisrepair.

    Areviewofhistoricaltopographicalandaerialphotographyforthestudyareawasperformed. The review indicated thatportionsofthestudyareahadbeencultivatedorforestedpriorto1951.

    Twopolemountedtransformersare locatedwithinthestudyarea.One is centrally located on Bluewood Courtwith the other beinglocated onWoods Lake Farm Road in the eastern portion of the

    study area. No staining, leaking or corrosion was observed inconjunctionwiththetransformers.

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    Asdiscussedearlier, the3.8acreWoods Lakeand apotential streamwere identifiedduringthefieldinvestigation.Bothwaterfeaturesfallunder the RandlemanWatershed regulations.The regulationsplaceprotectivebuffersalongand around thesewater features: Zone 1 (30feet)andZone2 (20 feet). TheZone1bufferbeginsatthenormalpoolelevationandZone2beginsattheterminusofZone1.

    Current regulations allow for disturbancewithinthesezones;however,mitigationoftheimpacts may be required. Potential permitsincludethefollowing:

    Stream,Wetlandand/orOpenWater

    Section401NCDivisionofWaterQuality Section401USArmyCorpofEngineersBufferImpacts

    Watershed Protection permit City ofArchdale

    Theimagetotherighthighlightsfeaturesfromthe field investigation, theZone1andZone2buffer requirements and the Archdale bufferrequirements(Zone1,Zone2,andZone3).

    LegendProject Parcels

    ALIGNMENTSOption 1

    Option 2

    Option 3

    Potential Streams*

    Potential Wetlands*

    Potential Wetland Impact

    Buffers**Zone 1 - 30 Feet

    Zone 2 - 50 Feet

    Zone 3 - 100 Feet

    POTENTIAL BUFFER IMPACTSZone 1

    Zone 2

    *From2006studyperformedbyKimleyHornandAssociatesaspartofaseparateandunrelatedproject.ThestreamsandwetlandshavebeenreviewedbytheUSArmyCorpsofEngineersandNCDivisionofWaterQuality.

    **FromSection309b.ArchdaleDevelopmentRegulations

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    There are three different types of impacts, eachwith a differentmeasureofmitigation.Stream,riparianwetlands,andbuffer(Zone1, Zone 2). Stream impacts are calculatedon a linear footbasis.Mitigation is set at $338/linear foot of disturbed stream impact.Riparian wetlands are calculated on a per acre impact basis at$44,883peracre.RandlemanLakebufferimpacts(Zone1andZone2)arebasedonapersquare footbasisof impact. Mitigationpersquarefootofimpactis$0.96.

    None of the three alternatives impact knownwetlands; however,the preferred alternative does cross an ephemeral (transient)stream. Thestream isa resultof thedrainagebasincreated fromexistingWeantRoadandtheBluewoodCourtneighborhood.Thereisanexistingcrossingofthestreamcurrentlyinplace.Itshouldbenotedthatthestreamdoesappeartobeephemeralinthatwaterisnotconsistentlyflowingandistypicallypresentonlyafterperiodsofprecipitation. Fieldobservations in Septemberdidnot reveal anyflowing water present. Observations in early January revealedflowingwaterinthestreambed.Theobservationsoccurredafteraprecipitationevent.

    Eachof thealternativealignmentspassesadjacent toWoodsLakewithpartsoftheroadwayinsideZone1andZone2buffers.Impact,asdefinedbyNCDENR, includesanypartof theroadway includingrightofway. Preliminary calculations indicate that approximately26,000squarefootofroadwaywillbewithinZone1andZone2.

    Furtherunderstandingof thepotentialbufferand stream impactsalongwith the requiredmitigationwill be determined during thedevelopmentoftheconstructionplans.

    Waterflowintheephemeralstream(January2011)

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    TRAFFIC AND SAFETY ANALYSIS Long term traffic growth and traffic safety are two of the mostpressing issueswithin thestudyarea. Over time, increased trafficassociated with growth of the Archdale community coupled withinadequate roadway infrastructure has the potential to result intrafficcongestionandtheerosionoftrafficsafety.

    TheNC62CorridorStudy identifies the intersectionofNC62andWeantRoadasthesecondhighestcrashlocationwithinthecorridorwith seven crashes reported over a 36month period (between20072010). The predominant crash type was determined to berearend, slow or stopped. For the same time period theintersectionofModlinGroveRoadandNC62reportednocrashes.

    Asapartofthefeasibilitystudy,intersectionlevelcapacityanalysiswaspreparedfortheintersectionofWeantRoadandModlinGroveRoadwithNC62.

    AM and PM turning movement counts were collected for theintersectionofNC62andWeantRoadonSeptember9,2010.Table1highlightstheresultsofthetrafficcapacityanalysis.Theresultsofthe analysis indicate that the intersection operates at Level ofService(LOS)EduringboththeAMandPMpeakhours.

    Table1.IntersectionLevelofServiceSummary(Existing)

    IntersectionPeakHourLOS(Delay)

    AM PM

    NC62andWeantRoad 38.9(E) 41.3(E)

    Unsignalized intersections indicated in italics and LOS and delay represent that of the mostdelayedminorstreetapproach.

    2010 AM/PM TURNING

    MOVEMENT VOLUMES

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    Sinceeachofthealternativesdevelopedutilizethesameterminuslocation with NC 62 and Modlin Grove Road, intersection levelcapacityanalysiswaspreparedforthehorizonyearBuild,withtherealignmentandNoBuild,withouttheimprovement.

    Basedonconversationswithmembersofthesteeringcommitteeitwas determined that the new intersection of Modlin GroveRoad/Weant Road andNC 62, under the build conditions, shouldincludeleftturnlanesonNC62andfuturesignalization.

    Table2outlinestheresultsoftheanalysisunderbothBuildandNoBuildconditionsforthe2015Horizonyear.

    The results of the 2015 Build analysis indicate that the realignedWeantRoadintersectionwilloperateatanacceptableLOS.TheNoBuild condition for 2015 shows further degradation of theintersectiontounacceptablelevels.

    Table2.IntersectionLevelofServiceSummary2015

    IntersectionPeakHourLOS(Delay)

    AM PM

    2015BuildConditions

    NC62andWeantRoad 10.0(A) B(13.2)

    NC62andModlinGrove/WeantRoad 16.9(B) 10.9(B)

    2015NoBuildConditions

    NC62andWeantRoad 468.4(F) 90.8(F)

    Unsignalized intersections indicated in italics and LOS and delay represent that of the mostdelayedminorstreetapproach.

    2015 AM/PM TURNING

    MOVEMENT VOLUMES

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    PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE Using the information collected in the environmental review, theconceptualdesigns,andthetrafficcapacityandsafetyanalysis,theprojectsteeringcommitteedeterminedthatAlternative2bestmettheneedsbothshorttermandlongtermforWeantRoad.

    Alternative2waschosenbasedonthepremisethatitbalancedtheneedsof thecommuting trafficutilizingWeantRoadandpotentialfuture landdevelopmentneeds inthearea. Whereas,Alternatives1and3accomplishedeachof theseneeds, itgavepriority to thecommutingtrafficneedsoverlanddevelopment.

    The project steering committee determined that existing WeantRoadandrealignedWeantRoadintersectionstrafficcontrolshouldbeprovidedthroughtheuseofaroundabout.WhereAlternatives1and3weredirectconnectionsnotrequiringWeantRoad traffic toturn, Alternative 2 requires that northbound traffic make a rightturn to utilize the signalized intersection with NC 62. Theinstallationofa roundaboutallows for thismovement tobemorefluid. Considerationwas given to providing a northbound bypasslanefromexistingWeantRoadtorealignedWeantRoadtoprovideamore seamlessmovement as provided in Alternatives 1 and 3.However, after additional review it was determined that themovementwouldlikelyhaveadetrimentalimpactontrafficsafety.

    RealignedWeantRoadisdesignedasatwolaneshoulderandditchsection. A shoulder and ditch section was chosen because itminimizedtheenvironmentalimpacttothearea.Furthermore,it

    allows for future widening without significant infrastructureremoval/rebuilding.

    As previously discussed, Randleman watershed requirementsaround Woods Lake will likely require coordination with the NCDepartmentofWater QualityandtheUSArmyCorpofEngineers.For this reasonmuch considerationwasgiven tohow theeasternedgewastreated. Tominimizethe impactareawithinthebuffersaround the lake, curbandgutterwasproposedalong theeasternedge. The implementation of curb and gutterwould allow for a

    ProposedroundaboutatWeantRoadandthenewWeantRoadConnector

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    reductioninthenecessarywidthforimplementationofthedesiredelements(sidewalkandguardrail).

    Thecloseproximityof theproposed road toWoodsLake requiresthe installation of guardrail for vehicular protection. With theinstallationofsidewalkadjacenttoorincloseproximitytothecurbandgutter,specialconsiderationforplacementoftheguardrailhastobegiven. Withacurbandgutteredgetreatment,vehicleshavethe potential to be vaulted if the curb is struck at a sufficientspeed.Improperplacementoftheguardrailinproximitytothecurbandguttercanaidinthevaulting,defeatingitsintendedpurpose.

    Current sidewalk design preference is to provide separationbetweenthebackofcurbandthesidewalkfor increasedsafetytopedestrians. Basedoncurrentdesignguidelinesaminimumof12feet is required from the face of curb to the face of guardrail.Shouldtheguardrailbeplacedflushwiththecurbface,aminimumof 2 feet should be provided to account for the deflection ofguardrail. Further evaluation of the placement of both theguardrail, including the type, as well as the placement of thesidewalkshouldbegivenduringthedesignphase.

    Contextappropriateordecorateguardrailcanbesubstitutedinlieuof the standard galvanized guardrail as found on highways.Examplesofdecorativeguardrailareshowntotheright.

    GUARDRAIL PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS

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    Inaddition to the improvementsassociatedwith theWeantRoadconnector,improvementsalongNC62,atthenewintersectionwithModlinGroveRoad,andattheexistingintersectionbetweenWeantRoad and NC 62 are required. With the creation of the newintersection betweenModlinGrove Road,Weant Road connectorand NC 62, leftturn lanes and traffic signalization are proposed.The NCDOT recommends that leftturn lanes be installed on allapproacheswiththe installationofatrafficsignal. Thisallowstheintersectiontomaximizethecapacityoftheintersection.However,if at the time of implementation traffic volumes along the sidestreetdonotwarranttheneedforaleftturnlane,considerationfor

    removingtheturnlanewillbegiven.

    ImprovementstotheexistingModlinGroveRoadwereconsideredinthepreferredconcept.Itshouldbenotedthatimprovementstoexisting Modlin Grove Road are not required to achieve anacceptableLOSorfortheintersectiontofunctionproperly.Duringthe development of construction drawings, further review isrecommended.

    At the existing intersection of Weant Road and NC 62, theintersection is tobemodified toprohibit leftturningmovements.With the installation of theWeant Road connector, the need forthesemovementswill not exist. To restrict thesemovements, aconcretemonolithicislandisrecommendedtobeinstalledalongNC62 from the terminus of the existing island to a point south ofWeantRoadbutnorthof the intersectionofNC62andBluewoodCourt.

    ConsiderationwasgiventoextendingtheislandalongNC62tothenew intersection with the Weant Road connector (resulting in arightin/rightout access at Bluewood Court.) The intent was toprovide access management to the adjacent properties betweenWeant Road and the Weant Road Connector. However, toimplementthemedianalongthissectionofroadwaywouldrequiretheconstructionofaUturnbulbat thenew intersectionwith theWeantRoadconnectorwhichwouldrequireadditionalrightofway.Toavoidfurthercosts,themedianwasminimizedalongNC62.

    Thepreferredalternativeisdepictedonthefollowingpage.

    Examplesofdecorativeguardrailtreatments

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    PreferredAlternative:FunctionalDesignConcept

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    PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COST A preliminary Opinion of Probable Construction Cost (OPCC) wasprepared for the preferred alternative. TheOPCC utilized inputsdevelopedfromthefunctionaldesignplansincluding:

    Pavementtypeandthickness Curbandgutter Erosioncontrol Trafficcontrol Markingsandstriping

    TheOPCCfortheWeantRoadconnecter,forthedesignasdepictedonthepreviouspage:

    WeantRoadConnector $740,000CurbandgutteradjacenttoWoodsLake $44,000ImprovementstoNC62 $439,000Roundabout $320,000

    Total: $1,543,000

    AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AsapartoftheevaluationoftheWeantRoadConnector,airqualityanalysis was prepared to evaluate the impacts the proposedconnectoranditssignalizationwillhaveonairqualityforthestudyarea.

    Analysis indicates that while the proposed addition of a signal isexpected to reduce the average delay for vehicles travelingnorthboundonWeantRoad,itactuallyintroducesapproximately13secondsofdelaytovehiclesonNC62.

    Aconservativeestimateof thechange inemissions resulting fromtheproposed improvementswasassumedtooccuronlyduringthetwohourmorningandtwohoureveningpeakperiodsforatotaloffourhoursperday.Thechangeindelaywasadjustedasfollows:

    Change inDelay= (82.46vehhrs/day)*(4peakhrs/24hrs)=13.74vehhrs/day

    ChangeinEmissions

    EmissionrateswereestablishedusingMobile6withinputvaluesrepresentingGuilfordCounty.

    The 2010 hourly pollutant emission rates for the correspondingpollutantsare:

    CO:(30.974g/mi)*(2.5mi/hr)*(1kg/1000g)=0.077kg/vehhr

    VOC:(5.427g/mi)*(2.5mi/hr)*(1kg/1000g)=0.014kg/vehhr

    NOX:(2.077g/mi)*(2.5mi/hr)*(1kg/1000g)=0.005kg/vehhr

    Theincreaseinemissionswasthencalculatedintermsofdailyandannualvalues.Theannualestimationsarebasedon250weekdaysinayear.Thecalculationsareasfollows:

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    Daily:

    CO:(0.077kg/vehhr)*(13.74vehhrs/day)=1.058kg/day

    VOC:(0.014kg/vehhr)*(13.74vehhrs/day)=0.192kg/day

    NOX:(0.005kg/vehhr)*(13.74vehhrs/day)=0.069kg/day

    EstimatedIncreaseinDailyEmissions=1.319kg/day

    Annual:

    CO:(1.058kg/day)*(250days/year)=264.5kg/year

    VOC:(0.192kg/day)*(250days/year)=48.1kg/year

    NOX:(0.069kg/day)*(250days/year)=17.2kg/year

    EstimatedIncreaseinDailyEmissions=329.8kg/year

    Thisspaceintentionallyleftblank.

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    ACTION PLAN Themomentumandsupportgained from theNC62CorridorStudyaswellas theWeantRoad Feasibility Study shouldbecapitalizedupon. The followingaction itemsare intended toprovide guidance for the successful implementation of theWeant Road project. While not an exhaustive inventory ofaction items,theActionPlandoeshighlightmajormilestonesrequiredforfunding,designandconstruction.

    The timeframe for implementation can be influenced byseveralfactorsincluding:

    Fundingavailabilitysource Permitting Developmentactivities Rightofwayacquisition

    Withthisinmind,alloftheimprovementsarenotlikelytobemade atone time. However, it is imperative thatNC62beimprovedtoaccommodatethisanticipated increase intraffic.Currently, the NCDOT Transportation Improvement Program(TIP)doesnot include improvementstothissectionofNC62.InadditiontothewideningofNC62,theconnectorstreetplanmustalsobecoordinatedand implemented to fully reap thebenefitsimprovingNC62.

    Table3:SummaryActionItems

    GeneralActionItems Timeframe ResponsibleParty

    AdoptthefindingsoftheWeantRoadFeasibilityStudy 2011 CityofArchdale

    IntegratethefindingsandrecommendationofthisstudyintotheHPMPOLongRangeTransportationPlan.

    2011 HPMPO

    DevelopconstructiondesignplansforWeantRoadrealignment 2011 ArchdaleNCDOT

    PerformnecessarypermittingwithNCDOT,NCDENRandCityofArchdale 2011 ArchdaleNCDOT

    WorkcollaborativelywithNCDOTtosecurefundingandinitiateimplementation Ongoing

    CityofArchdale/HPMPO/NCDOT

    WorkwithNCDOT(siteplandevelopmentprocess)toconstructaccessmanagementimprovementsincludingintersectionredesign,drivewayconsolidation,crossaccessbetweenproperties,etc.

    IncrementallyCityPlanning/EngineeringStaff/NCDOT

    Requiretheimplementationoftheconnectorstreetplanincrementallyasdevelopmentoccurs. Incrementally

    CityPlanning/DevelopmentCommunity

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    Many citizens expressed frustration during the charrette processover the lack of funding resources and likely timing forimplementationoftheproposedimprovements.Unfortunately,theplanning,design,andconstructionofpubliclyfundedtransportationprojects typically takes five to sevenyears (oncea funding sourcehas been identified). Local, state, and private partnerships offerstrategicadvantagestoimplementingimprovements.

    Some improvements will occur as a result of development andredevelopment opportunities. The majority of responsibility forimplementing these recommendationswillbeacoordinatedeffortbetween NCDOT, the City of Archdale, and the HighPoint AreaMetropolitanPlanningOrganization(HPMPO).

    PRIMARY FUNDING OPTIONS Thereareessentially fourpotentialprimarypublic fundingsourcesfor the realignment of Weant Road and correspondingimprovements to NC 62. These transportation resources aredescribedbelow.

    MunicipalBonds

    Transportation bonds have been instrumental in the strategicimplementation of local roadways, transit, and nonmotorizedtravelthroughoutNorthCarolina.Votersincommunitiesbothlargeand small regularlyapprove theuseofbonds inorder to improvetheir transportation system. Nearly all of the improvements

    identified in this study could be financially supported using atransportationbondprogram. Where the improvementoccursonstate owned street, approvals and encroachment permits will berequiredfromNCDOT.

    TransportationImprovementProgram(TIP)

    The states Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) supportscommunities through an array of funding resources includingFederal Aid Construction Funds and State Construction Funds. Aspartof the applicationprocess, strict criteriamustbemetbeforeproject selection. Criteria include providing rightofwayinformation,meetingasetofdesignstandards,showinganeedfora project, local support of the project, and the inclusion of theprojectinthecommunitysplanningprocesses.Whiletechnicallyaviable funding option, new projects such as the Weant Roadrealignment will not likely be competitive when considering thedepthofprojectsalreadycompetingforscarceTIPfunding.

    HighHazardEliminationFunds

    TheHighHazardEliminationprogram isa federally funded safetyprogramwhichrequiresthatasystematicapproachbeusedtoaddeligiblesafetyprojectstotheTIP.Theseprojectstypicallycostintherangeofseveralhundredthousanddollars(whichmeanstheylikelycouldntbeusedtofundtheentiretyoftheWeantRoadrelocation).

    Allprojectsconsideredforthisprogrammustgothrougharigorousevaluation and ranking procedure and all projects fundedwill be

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    based on this ranking process. The use of federal funds wouldrequireamoredetailedenvironmentalapprovalprocess(NEPA).

    SurfaceTransportationProgramDirectApportionment(STPDA)

    TheSTPDAprogramwasestablished inthestateofNorthCarolinain order to provide theMetropolitan PlanningOrganizationswithadditional funding and increased control over the distribution offunds. STPDA fundsprovidethemunicipality fullcontrolovertheplanninganddesignphasesofaproject. ThisenablestheMPOtodirectlyprogram the funding for theprojectas longas theprojectcontinuestoconformtoNCDOTpolicies.However,usageofSTPDAfundsrequiresthe localagencytoprovidea20%fundingmatchaswellasmoneyforprojectplanninganddesign.

    NCDOTDivisionFunds

    NCDOT separates the state into14divisions.GuilfordCounty is inDivision 7. Division funds are another resource that providesallocationsordiscretionaryfundingforspecialprojectswithineachdivision.SubcategoriesoffundingthatmaybeappropriatefortheWeantRoadrealignmentincludes:

    Small Urban: The intent of these funds is to provide smallimprovements to existing roadways. Projects are selected andmanagedbytheNCDOTDivisions.Projectsarecappedat$250,000which would only fund a portion of the Weant Road project. Adetailed checklist for the program can be found at the following:http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/traffic/teppl/Topics/F21/F21_mm.pdf

    SecondaryRoadsProgram:Thisprogramwasestablishedprimarytofund topavingof secondarydirt, gravel, and sand roads. Recentchanges permit the use of these funds for the construction ofimprovementstoexistingroads. Thisprogram ismanagedbyeachDivisionwithprojectendorsementoccurringatthecountylevel.

    Discretionary Funds (Statewide/Division): A limited amount offunding is allocated annually for discretionary use to makeimprovementsonanyprojectat thediscretionof theDivisionandBoardofTransportation.Moreinformationaboutthisprogramcanbefoundatthefollowing:

    http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/traffic/teppl/MOM/MN10.pdf

    CONCLUSION Successful implementation of theNC 62 CorridorAccess Planwilldepend to a great extent on the ability of local government,HPMPO, and NCDOT to work together in collaboration. Thisfeasibility study provides a summary of the implementationstrategy,includingalistofspecificprojects,aphasingplan,planninglevel cost estimates, available funding sources, and agenciesresponsible for implementing the vision. However, the nature ofthe recommendationsdoesnot require thatall improvementsarecompleted in unison. This should allow the City, HPMPO, andNCDOT the flexibility to implement improvements inphaseswhileemployingmultiplefundingsourcestocompletetheproject.