New Interchange at I-85 and Old Beatty Ford Road Relocation North Carolina Department of Transportation NCDOT Highway Division 9 Attn: Diane Hampton, PE 375 Silas Creek Parkway Winston Salem, NC 27127

New Interchange at I-85 and Old Beatty Ford Road Relocation

NCDOT proposes to provide a new interchange at I-85 and the Old Beatty Ford Relocation in Rowan County. This interchange is included in NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as Project Number I-3804. For more information about this project, please visit https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings/ or contact:

Diane Hampton, PE Division Planning Engineer NCDOT Highway Division 9 375 Silas Creek Parkway Winston Salem, NC 27127 (336) 747-7800 dkhampton@ncdot.gov

NCDOT will provide interpretive services upon request for persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English. Kindly request it by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas que hablan español y no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

Address Label

January 2017

Connecting people, products, and places safely and efficiently with customer focus, accountability and environmental sensitivity to enhance the economy and vitality of North Carolina.

New Interchange at I-85 and Old Beatty Ford Road Relocation

State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Project I-3804

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Project Description

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to provide a new interchange at I-85 and the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation in Rowan County. This proposed project is included in the 2016–2025 NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as Project Number I-3804. Both right of way acquisition and construction are scheduled to begin in 2017.

The project is needed to support economic prosperity across southern Rowan County, improve access to I-85 for regional, statewide and national markets, and to support long-range planning and land use initiatives.

Background & Public Meeting

A Local Officials Informational Meeting and Public Meeting for STIP Project I-3804 was held on October 20, 2016 at the Moose Family Center in China Grove. Two alternatives were on display:

Alternative A – partial cloverleaf configuration with ramps and loops north of the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation on the west side of I-85, and south of the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation on the east side of I-85.

Alternative B – half cloverleaf configuration with ramps and loops south of the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation on both sides of I-85.

During this meeting, NCDOT representatives met with the public, answered citizens’ questions, and received input on the two alternatives.

Approximately 98 individuals and local business owners attended the Public Meeting. Fifteen participants submitted comment forms at the meeting. Three comments were submitted by email after the meeting. Twelve of the 18 submitted comments favored Alternative A with ramps and loops on opposite sides of the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation. Three of the submitted comments favored Alternative B with ramps and loops on the south side of the Old Beatty Ford Road relocation. Several comments requested that the bridge consist of five lanes to accommodate future planned growth. Some commenters were concerned about the location of the interchange and its impact on safety and the community’s character. The project fits the stated need to support economic prosperity across southern Rowan County, improve access to I-85, and to support long-range planning and land use initiatives.

New Interchange at I-85 and Old Beatty Ford Road Relocation January 2017

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Project Schedule & Costs* Event Date

Evaluate Alternatives and Environmental Impacts Completed

Complete Categorical Exclusion Early 2017

Begin Right of Way Acquisition and Construction Late 2017

Costs

Right of Way & Utilities $680,000

Construction To Be Determined

* Schedule and costs are subject to change

Project Updates

Since the Public Meeting in October, traffic

estimates were revised to account for additional

traffic from a proposed development with

residential, office, commercial, and institutional

uses. With this development, the revised 2040

traffic volumes along the Old Beatty Ford Road

relocation are estimated to range from 12,100 to

24,000 vehicles per day (vpd).

As a result, five lanes are needed along the Old

Beatty Ford Road relocation in the vicinity of the

interchange to accommodate future traffic. Future

traffic signals are now being considered at the ramp

intersections instead of the previously proposed

roundabouts, which were presented during the

Public Meeting. The ramp intersections can be

initially controlled with stop signs and traffic signals

can be installed when future traffic volumes warrant

signalization.

The NCDOT Project Team recommended

Alternative A (with five lanes) as the Preferred

Alternative. The Preferred Alternative is the option

that NCDOT pursues moving forward with the

project. Please see the map excerpt and typical

section on the next page. NCDOT recommended

Alternative A for the following reasons:

Supported by more citizens

Offers improved traffic operations

Has a lower cost

Has fewer stream impacts

The proposed bridge width should allow for future

bike lanes and sidewalks.

For full digital copies of the Preferred Alternative

mapping, please visit:

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/

publicmeetings/

Preferred Alternative

Alternative A (Preferred) Alternative B

Type of Interchange Partial cloverleaf Half cloverleaf

Relocation No residential or business

relocations No residential or business

relocations

Right of Way Requires less land Requires more land

Construction Slightly lower cost Slightly higher cost

Stream Impacts 75 feet 255 feet

Wetland Impacts 0.2 acre 0.2 acre

New Interchange at I-85 and Old Beatty Ford Road Relocation January 2017

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Preferred Alternative - Alternative A

Proposed Typical Section

Proposed Roadway

Proposed Structures

Proposed Right of Way

Streams, Wetlands