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Background

Originally, NCDOT initiated road-widening project (STIP U-5720) and the design of two highway concepts. Triangle West in partnership with the City of Durham initiated a study of a 4-mile stretch along the US 70 corridor from I-885 to the future Northern Durham Parkway (near the Wake County border).  This study is referred to as US 70 East Corridor Study – Phase I. During Phase I, Triangle West and the City of Durham chose to explore alternatives to consider multimodal transportation options along the corridor. The goal of the US 70 East Corridor Study Phase 1 was to propose a safe, efficient, and equitable multimodal transportation system that offers a choice between public transit, pedestrian and bicycle use, and automobile travel.

The results of community engagement with businesses, neighborhoods, and those who use this corridor helped inform the two concepts developed in phase 1. 

 

PHASE II 

Phase II of the study is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2025 and conclude in the spring of 2026. Phase II will include: 

  • Additional traffic evaluation and analysis (Express Design Traffic Evaluation, or EDTE). This process will analyze the recommendations from NCDOT and the TPO. 
  • High level evaluations of the impacts and multimodal effectiveness of the recommendations. 
  • Public engagement efforts. 
The goal of Phase II is to consolidate and reconsider previous planning efforts including the concepts produced by NCDOT and concepts within Phase I to produce a final concept that can be funded.  

To stay up to date about Phase II – sign up for the Triangle West newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/l6JPEUL/US70CorridorStudy  

PHASE I 

Triangle West, in consultation with STV Engineers and guidance from a Core Technical Team of stakeholders, conducted Phase I of the study. Phase I began in July 2022 and concluded in May 2024. The study team would like to thank the public, local agencies, and Core Technical Team members for participating in Phase I of the study. . The Phase I1 final report, appendices, and presentation to the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization Board  on May 28, 2024 can be accessed below: 

First Round 

The study team conducted a survey and several public engagement meetings from November 2022 through January 2023. The results, and a presentation and meeting video for the engagement, are available on the links below. 

The study team’s second round of public engagement occurred between August 21 and September 18, 2023. . Engagement opportunities included three in-person meetings, one virtual meeting, and an online survey (also available in print format) to gather feedback. The following two draft concepts for the corridor were shared during the second round of public engagement and as part of the survey:  

The recording of the virtual meeting held on August 21, and the presentation, are below:  

For more information, please contact: 

Monet Moore, AICP 
Principal Planner 

Monet.Moore@twtpo.org 

Triangle West TPO
4307 Emperor Blvd
Suite 110
Durham, NC 27703