The North Carolina Department of Transportation is seeking public input on proposed safety improvements to Morganton Road.
DOT officials will meet with the public from 5 to 7 p.m. July 18 at Highland Presbyterian Church, 111 Highland Ave.
The proposed improvements include adding sidewalks to fill in gaps; installing or enhancing crosswalks and pedestrian markings; improving traffic signals; and constructing a raised median.
DOT staff and consultants will be on hand to discuss the recommendations and answer questions, according to a DOT news release.
The recommendations are the culmination of a yearlong study as well as input from the city of Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The study focused on more than six miles of Morganton Road from Dobbin Avenue in Haymount to 500 feet west of Reilly Road, the release said.
Residents can submit comments by email at Morganton-Road-Fayetteville@PublicInput.com or by phone at 984-205-6615 (enter project code 2372 to leave a message). The deadline for comments is Aug. 2.
The plan is summarized at Morganton Road plan.
Hazardous corridor
Morganton Road carries between 18,000 and 35,000 vehicles a day, and its crash rate of 544 collisions per 100 million vehicle miles traveled exceeds the statewide average of 430 for a similar five-lane road. Additionally, there were 33 crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists on the corridor between 2011 and 2021, the news release said.
Among the changes being contemplated are replacing the open center turn lane with a raised median to improve safety and traffic flow. DOT’s reduced conflict intersection webpage explains this design and its benefits.
The design has been used in other congested Fayetteville corridors, such as Owen Drive, Bragg Boulevard and Ramsey Street.
