July 18 - 24, 2019
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Keeping slip lane at N.C. 68/150 may endanger ORMA cadets, consultant says A consultant says NCDOT should modify its recently proposed intersection plan to ensure that pedestrians can safely cross N.C. 68 north of 150 by CHRIS BURRITT OAK RIDGE – Improvements at N.C. 68 and 150 aimed at improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety may actually imperil Oak Ridge Military Academy cadets going from campus to the Oak Ridge Commons shopping center, a consultant said. A North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposal under consideration by Oak Ridge’s town council recommends keeping in place the slip lane at the northern corner of Highways 68 and 150. The lane allows motorists driving west on 150 to skirt the intersection as they turn north onto 68. If NCDOT were to remove the slip lane, it would be forced to widen 150, encroaching on ORMA’s campus, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Brian Ketner, a state highway project engineer, said last week. However, keeping the slip lane in place to protect historic property may jeopardize the safety of pedestrians, according to a letter from Tab Combs, a research associate in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of City and Regional Planning, written to Oak Ridge Town Manager Bill Bruce.
It is critical that the (N.C. 68 and 150) intersection design prioritize provision of a safe and convenient pedestrian connection across N.C. 68 north of Highway 150.” Tab Combs, a research associate in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Dept. of City and Regional Planning “My main concern is in regards to pedestrian safety,” Combs wrote in the letter circulated to council members last Thursday, July 11, before their monthly meeting. Earlier, the town had hired Combs to represent its interests during NCDOT’s evaluation of options for improving traffic flow and pedestrian and cyclist safety in the commercial district. NCDOT is seeking Oak Ridge’s endorsement of its plan to install new traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalks at 68 and 150 while building roundabouts at two other locations – at 68 and Linville Road and at 150 and Marketplace Drive. Earlier, an analysis by state transportation planners found that traffic would overwhelm a roundabout at 68 and 150, leading to the proposal for stop lights that could accommodate a projected increase in traffic at the intersection in the future. However, the state’s plan “does not include a pro-
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Sample Anderson, 97, a World War II veteran, stands with an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in his honor. Anderson received the flag and a certificate of recognition from Rep. Mark Walker at a surprise ceremony at Oak Level Baptist Church on June 30. See story on p. 7.
IN THIS ISSUE News in brief............................................... 2 Your Questions ........................................... 4 Oak Ridge Town Council July 11 meeting ..6 Sample Anderson, WWII vet, honored ......7 Stokesdale Town Council July 11 meeting..8 Crime/Incident Report ............................ 10 NWO Business & Real Estate ................... 11 Real Estate Briefs ...................................... 12 No lull for northwest housing .................. 14 Calendar Events ...................................... 24 Grins and Gripes...................................... 26 Classifieds ................................................ 28 Index of Advertisers................................. 31