View Glenwood Avenue concrete fix in a larger map
Glenwood Avenue between Five Points and Wade will become Raleigh's worst traffic chokepoint for the next two months with lanes, side streets and on-ramps closed. An NCDOT contractor will replace 70-year-old concrete before completing what was supposed to be an easy asphalt repaving job.
NCDOT also is trying to iron out problems with bumpy asphalt on Glenwood west of Five Points. (See Saturday's story.)
Glenwood carries 30,000 cars and trucks a day. Drivers will find their own alternate routes; NCDOT will mark detours on Capital Boulevard, Oberlin Road and I-440.
[Glenwood commuters: pls share your concerns and detour plans: bruce.siceloff@newsobserver.com]
NCDOT says that, starting Monday:
* Glenwood, now two lanes each way, will be squeezed into one lane each way between Wade and Five Points. In the first couple of weeks, inbound and outbound traffic will share the inbound lanes. There will be changes later.
* The on- and off-ramps connecting Glenwood and westbound Wade Avenue will be closed. Recommended detour for Wade drivers taking outbound Glenwood: Use Oberlin Road.
* Fairview Road, which has one-way traffic from Five Points to Scales Street, will become two-way - but only during brief phases of the repair work. [This is a change from my earlier post, which erred in saying Fairview would be two-way the whole time.]
* On-street parking will be banned on the affected parts of Glenwood and Fairview.
* Harvey and West Aycock streets will be closed a their intersections with Glenwood.
NCDOT and its conctractor, the Fred Smith Co., had expected by mid-June to finish a 2.7-mile asphalt repaving job on Glenwood from Wade Avenue to Woman's Club Drive. After removing the old asphalt, they discovered that the underlying concrete south of Five Points was in such poor condition that it would have to be removed and replaced.
Now they hope to finish before the start of the school year, in mid-August.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the
Comments
Northbound/outbound, you
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 09:39 — BromhalNorthbound/outbound, you will NOT want to take St Mary's St. The SM/Glenwood light is already terrible there, and the tight lanes leading to and that light will not make you smile.
The best method outbound or inbound - for those going downtown for work -will be to find your way to either Wade or Capital.
Dang.
Fri, 06/25/2010 - 14:52 — RonBI was hoping St. Mary's would be kept a secret, and it looks like detour signs will point folks to Oberlin.
Both routes are ok -- which to take depends on your destination.
If you are going to Glenwood past Oberlin, then Oberlin is ok. But if you are trying to go to North Hills from south of Wade, St. Mary's is better. Normal moves from south of 5 Points to Whittaker Mill to get to Wake Forest/Six Forks and points north and east will be easier via Capital.
Route
Fri, 06/25/2010 - 10:42 — kenmetzgerMost traffic that comes that way is through traffic which can easily just take Wade Ave to St. Mary's St. or Oberlin Rd to get to Glenwood Ave. (The same obviously works in the other direction, as well) It is sometimes quicker to take that route anyway.