The 1.7-mile extension, which would extend Independence Blvd. from the intersection of Randall Parkway and Mercer Avenue to MLK Parkway, has been in the works since the 70s. But only in recent years has NCDOT begun moving forward by holding public hearings.
Some residents suggested avoiding their neighborhoods.
“I live at Camden Circle," said one resident, referring to a neighborhood that could be impacted by the southern end of the extension project. "Keep it a circle — [it's] been there since 1941 and the residents there helped win World War II."
Others opposed the part of the extension that would tear through some predominantly Black neighborhoods, such as Creekwood.
One business owner, Joe Conyers, has a different motivation for being at the hearing. He wants the ball to get rolling after waiting over 50 years for this project to move beyond the proposal stage, delays which have made it difficult to sell his property.
“At my age, I'm ready to sell. I can't sell anybody because every time you hear a road coming and the potential buyers say, can't invest, you understand what I'm saying,” Conyers said.
NCDOT says the public hearing comments will be used to select one of two alternative options for an elevated roadway interchange at Market Street.
The first option is a single-point urban interchange (SPUI) — an elevated roadway that would help ease traffic by allowing left-turning lanes at the Market Street intersection to move simultaneously.
The second option is a tight urban diamond interchange (TUDI) — a similar design to option one; however, this is smaller than the standard interchange. The TUDI option provides a crosswalk away from the bridge structure, timed with traffic signals.
Both options would require the extension to cut through stretches of residential neighborhoods located north and south of Market.
Based on project maps, the TUDI design would require the development of additional roadways, resulting in more relocations of homes, businesses and churches located north and south of Market.
Trevor Carroll, the NCDOT division engineer for the proposed extension project, says it's nearly impossible to complete a project like this without having any impact on the environment and residents in the area.
However, he says they're doing everything they can to minimize that impact.
"We're trying to make sure that we provide a better north-south connection than what's existing here on Independence Boulevard," Carroll said. "A large portion of this project will be elevated roadway because we do want to build higher for more resilience in times of storm evacuation routes and those type of things. Right now, we're still in the concept phase, if you will."
The projected cost of the project is $424.6 million.
View the full details of the project alternatives here.
