Project Overview and History

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing to improve intersections between Forney Hill Road/Campground Road and St. James Church Road/Will Proctor Street in Denver. After studying numerous alternatives, a new connector road west of existing N.C. 16 Business is proposed along with roundabouts at each of the connector termini. Widening of N.C. 16 Business, turn lanes on all intersection approaches, and some left turn restrictions have also been considered.

A feasibility study for the project was conducted in 2018. This study recommended roadway widening along N.C. 16 Business, two-way left turn (TWLT) improvements on Will Proctor Street), and a new single-lane roundabout connecting Campground Road and Will Proctor Street. The study findings were documented in the Project Scoping Technical Report dated July 17, 2019. The proposed roundabout improvement alternative was later deemed no longer feasible due to a recent residential development in the location where the roundabout was proposed. 

A second feasibility study was conducted for the project in 2021. Thirteen alternative concepts were considered and the current project alternatives described under Project Highlights are based on the previous feasibility study recommendations and updated traffic capacity studies in 2023.

Project Highlights

The purpose of the project is to improve the operations of the N.C. 16 Business intersections with Forney Hill Road/Campground Road and St. James Church Road/Will Proctor Street, as well as to facilitate east-west traffic flow between St. James Church Road and Campground Road. Under current conditions, these existing signalized intersections are primary contributors to the heavy congestion along N.C. 16 Business during peak hours.

Two alternatives are currently being considered for the proposed project, with two options under consideration for Alternative 2.  Descriptions of the alternatives appear below each map. 

The local Denver Historic District boundary (state listed) and Rock Springs Campground (National Register) have been identified as important/significant historic areas/sites in the area, and close coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will occur during project development to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to these resources.

Typical Roadway Section


Project Maps

Clicking on the photo below will open the pdf version in a new window for viewing or downloading.

Alternative 1

Alternative 1

  • New connector road west of N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road and St. James Church Road with single-lane roundabouts at both ends
  • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business at St. James Church Road/Will Proctor Street 
  • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road/Campground Road 
  • New left turn lane from Campground Road onto Catawba-Burris Road

Question title

Do you have questions or comments or Alternative 1?

Closed for Comments

Alternative 2   -  Option 1

Alternative 2 - Option 1 

  • Symmetrical Widening of N.C. 16 Business
  • Widen N.C. 16 Business to a 5-lane typical section on the east and west ends 
  • Contains all Alternative 1 improvements
    • New connector road west of N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road and St. James Church Road with single-lane roundabouts at both ends
    • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business at St. James Church Road/Will Proctor Street 
    • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road/Campground Road 
    • New left turn lane from Campground Road onto Catawba-Burris Road

Question title

Do you have questions or comments on Alternative 2 - Option 1

Closed for Comments

Alternative 2   -  Option 2

Alternative 2 - Option 2

  • Asymmetrical widening of N.C. 16 Business (widening to the south toward the Forney Hill Road and St. James Church Road side)
  • Widen N.C. 16 Business to a 5-lane typical section on the east and west ends
  • Contains all Alternative 1 improvements
    • New connector road west of N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road and St. James Church Road with single-lane roundabouts at both ends
    • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business at St. James Church Road/Will Proctor Street 
    • Turn Lane improvements and left turn restrictions from N.C. 16 Business between Forney Hill Road/Campground Road 
    • New left turn lane from Campground Rd. onto Catawba-Burris Rd.

Question title

Do you have questions or comments on Alternative 2 - Option 2

Closed for Comments

Question title

Please drag and drop the Alternatives in your order of preference. (preference at the top)

Closed to responses

Project Funding:

Activity

Cost*

 Right of Way Acquisition

$ 16.0 million  

 Utilities

                                 $   2.7 million

 Construction Cost

$ 16.8 million  

 Total Cost

$ 35.5 million  

*Estimated costs are subject to change. Based on currently adopted NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program.

Project Timeline:

Milestone

    Date*

Environmental Document Complete

 Summer 2024 

Right-Of-Way Acquisition Begins

August 2024 

Construction Begins

 2027 

* Future dates subject to change. 

Question title

Do you have comments or questions on the overall project?

Closed for Comments

Question title

Would you like to be added to the project email list for updates?

Project Comments

 

NCDOT accepts comments throughout all phases of project development.  

All comments will be taken into consideration, and carry equal weight, regardless of submittal method.

To submit comments for consideration during the current phase of project development,

please submit before May 7, 2024


The public is encouraged to leave comments using this webpage, email, or phone number:

 

Email: Forney-StJamesChurch-Denver@publicinput.com

Phone Number:  984-205-6615    enter project code 10221 to leave a message.

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION 

Bryan Sowell, P.E.

Project Development Team Lead 

NCDOT Division 12

P.O. Box 47

Shelby, NC 28151

Forney-StJamesChurch-Denver@publicinput.com

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION 

Colista Freeman, P.E.

Planning Senior Project Manager

NV5 Engineers and Consultants

3300 Regency Parkway, Suite 100

Cary, NC 27518

Forney-StJamesChurch-Denver@publicinput.com

Title VI Feedback

To ensure we’re hearing from a broad set of voices, would you be willing to share (completely anonymously) some information about yourself?

If so, please click here https://publicinput.com/NCDOT-Title-VI

 

RESOURCES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS 


Although the N.C. Department of Transportation works to minimize the number of homes and businesses displaced by a road project, it is inevitable, in many cases, that a certain amount of private property is needed. The following information explains right of way acquisition and answers questions about the process.  

     
Right-of-Way Brochure Single Page Layout      Folleto del Proceso de Adquisición de Bienes Raíces
Right-of-Way Frequently Asked Questions

Right of way Acquisition Process Videos

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