Numerous residents have been concerned about the left over dirt piles that line both sides of Trailwood Drive from Avent Ferry Road to the fire station since the North Carolina Department Of Transportation (NCDOT) completed a 2-foot shoulder extension on Trailwood over a month ago. The piles have been there so long that grass has started to grow in most areas. NCDOT officials (via email communications with concerned citizens) site rain delays as the reason they haven’t been able to complete the work. Many residents were concerned about the pedestrian and bicycle traffic which frequently uses the shoulder on Trailwood Drive. According to one citizen observation, some motorists are using the new 2-foot shoulder as part of the travel lane and this has essentially closed the soft shoulder to bike and pedestrian traffic.
Dirt pile on Trailwood Drive
Although pedestrian and bike safety are of high concern, others were concerned with environmental issues such as storm water runoff and the dirt silt causing water quality issues. Others stated the dirt was unsightly and devalues the entire communities real estate curb appeal.
In an email dated Wednesday, July 22, 2009, Steve Halsey, Wake County Maintenance Engineer responded to citizen concerns:
“We still have plans to remove this excess material very soon. We had plans to start on it this week, however, the recent rains have saturated the material. If we were to go out and attempt to remove it while it is wet, it will be a big mess and has the potential to cause more issues. Weather permitting, we are currently planning on starting the work this coming Monday. If we get additional rain between now and then, we may need to delay it again.”
Dirt runoff onto the shoulder effects water quality
Dirt piles line both sides of Trailwood Drive
During my commute this morning, July 29, 2009, I noticed that there were NCDOT vehicles in the area preparing to work, two dump trucks and a front-end loader.
NCDOT also plans to install new pavement markings to clearly identify the travel lanes. The markings will replace the existing ones in the same location and create a 2-foot paved shoulder. The direct line to contact NCDOT Wake County maintenance is (919) 733-2191.
Tags: ncdot