The Fuquay-Varina Town Board has agreed to participate in a funding agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to help fund improvements to the Sunset Lake/Hilltop Needmore/Bass Lake Road intersection. This intersection, where three state-maintained roads converge, has become increasingly congested as the town’s population and surrounding areas have grown.
The project consists of the construction of two dedicated left turn lanes and signalization improvements; one from the Bass Lake Road approach and one from the Hilltop Needmore Road approach to the intersection of Sunset Lake/Bass Lake/Hilltop Needmore Road.
The estimated cost of the project is $655,000 of which NCDOT will fund $505,000, and the Town of Fuquay-Varina will fund up to $150,000 of the project’s cost. The town regularly works with NCDOT in developing road projects and improvements for better connectivity. NCDOT is subdivided by location and Fuquay-Varina is located in Division 5, which submitted the intersection mobility project that competed for federal funds. The project was awarded the maximum amount of funding of $500,000. Fuquay-Varina is committed to funding up to $150,000 to ensure the project gets built.
Mayor John W. Byrne expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to improve the Sunset Lake/Hilltop Needmore/Bass Lake intersection. “Our governing board and town staff have worked very hard over the past few years on transportation improvement issues. I am very excited that this opportunity is available to us. Working with NCDOT, we have been able to leverage grant funds with local dollars to ensure this very important project will happen soon.”
NCDOT Division 5 Engineer, Joey Hopkins, echoed Mayor Byrne’s comments stating, “I am very happy that the Town Board and staff in Fuquay-Varina were able to do this and I am excited about the continued partnership to address transportation issues in Fuquay-Varina.”
Throughout 2015, the Town Board received public feedback regarding the Sunset Lake/Hilltop Needmore/Bass Lake Road intersection. At the January 3rd Town Board meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Blake Massengill commented, “This is a great opportunity for our town and clearly demonstrates that our governing board has heard the concerns expressed by the public with respect to this intersection and we are taking action to make it better for everyone.” The Town of Fuquay-Varina is currently working to update its Community Transportation Plan, which will define the vision and necessary steps for providing adequate transportation into the future. A public workshop is planned for March 2nd from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Public Service Center located at 1415 Holland Road.
The Town Board decision was unanimous. At the meeting, Commissioner Jason Wunsch said, “I am excited about the town partnering on this important project and I look forward to a safer and improved intersection.”
Right-of-way design and acquisition is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2017 with construction to follow. Mayor Byrne said, “I want to thank NCDOT Division 5 for their commitment to improved roads in Fuquay-Varina.”
