At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council unanimously passed an ordinance allocating $1.3 million from the Transportation Bond Contingency Fund to help pay for the relocation of existing Duke Energy utilities nestled in the proposed project area.
The project plans include the extension of Pine Grove Drive and the addition of a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of Pine Grove and Greenville Loop Road. Also included is the addition of a multi-use path and upgraded traffic signals at the Holly Tree and Beasley Road intersections.
However, there are existing utility poles owned by Duke Energy that block some of the proposed improvements, mainly the Pine Grove Drive expansion.
According to city staff, since Duke Energy has prior rights in the area, the City must bear the cost to relocate Duke’s utility infrastructure, which the company estimates would cost about $1.5 million.
