J.W. Clay Blvd. through University Place will get bike lanes, trees and wider sidewalks.

The Town Hall Meeting on transportation improvements on May 19 covered 20 projects under way or coming in the next few years. Click on the project titles for in-depth reports on the I-485 Opening, LYNX Blue Line Extension, North Tryon Street bridge replacements, and New Bridges over I-85 and NC Railroad. We also have assembled these summaries of other projects.

Northeast Corridor Infrastructure (NECI) projects

Charlotte plans to spend more than $100 million over the next decade on improvements to make it easier for people to get to the LYNX Blue Line Extension transit stations. These improvements include better road connections as well as improved sidewalks and bike lanes with shade trees. Two community meetings on the projects were held earlier in May. Learn more, view the meeting PowerPoint presentation and sign up for ongoing notices at the NECI WEBSITE

• J.W. Clay Boulevard streetscape – Early plans call for adding a connection to the future Barton Creek Greenway between the lake at University Place and the Mallard Creek Greenway. Start date: Project is in preliminary planning state. Construction to start by early 2019. WEBSITE
• McCullough Drive streetscape and extension – This project will add or upgrade sidewalks and bike lanes on existing portions of McCullough Drive and add a new piece on the south side of North Tryon Street near that will complete McCullough Drive from North Tryon to East W.T. Harris Blvd. Start date: Project is in preliminary planning state. Construction to start by early 2019. WEBSITE
• Orr Road extension to Austin Drive – This project will create a new entrance for the Hidden Valley neighborhood by extending Orr Road across North Tryon Street to Austin Drive. This new road will replace the loss of left turns at nearby Austin Drive when the LYNX light-rail line is completed. Start date: summer 2016. Completion date: Fall 2016. WEBSITE
• Rocky River Road West streetscape from North Tryon Street to Batavia Lane. Start date: Design phase will take a year; construction to start in 2017. Completion: 2018. WEBSITE
• Tom Hunter Road streetscape from North Tryon Street to Canterwood Drive. This will improve access to the future Tom Hunter Road light rail station. Start date: Project is in preliminary planning state. Construction to start by early 2019. WEBSITE

Upgrades to old farm roads

Several old farm-to-market roads are being rebuilt as urban streets. Details vary by project, but generally the rebuilt roads continue to have two lanes, but the lanes are wider and curves have been changed to make them less sharp. Intersections will have turn lanes. Streets will provide safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists, with curbs, gutters, bike lanes, wide planting strips with shade trees, and sidewalks. Projects include:

• Back Creek Church Road from Rocky River Road to Scott Creek Road. Start date: Relocation of utilities has begun; construction to start about June 2016. Completion date: About July 2017. WEBSITE
• Johnston-Oehler Road. Includes short stretch of North-South Connector. Start date: Construction under way. Completion – Spring 2016. WEBSITE

Other major city and state transportation projects

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  View of Grier Road extension and new bridge over NC Railroad to Old Concord Road

  Piedmont Improvement Project for the NC Railroad (Old Concord Road area) – Total project will update the NC Railroad from Charlotte to Raleigh to increase speed and capacity plus greatly improve rail passenger service by installing dual tracks for the entire distance. Charlotte area project will improve 12 miles of tracks and railroad crossings from Orr Road to eastern Cabarrus County. New bridge will carry Grier Road traffic over the tracks to new intersection with Old Concord Road. Project start date: Work began in 2014. Detour now in place through late 2015 for work around Grier Road bridge. Detour to end by December 2015. Project to be finished by late 2016. WEBSITE

• Mallard Creek Road realignment – State transportation department project to create a new four-lane road around the Derita village center, from West Sugar Creek Road at Graham Street to Mallard Creek Road near Nevin Road. Also widen existing two-lane Mallard Creek Road between Nevin Road and West W.T. Harris Boulevard. New roadway will include bike lanes and sidewalks. Project began in early 2014. Completion in 2017. WEBSITE
• University City Boulevard extension – City of Charlotte project to extend University City Boulevard from Neal Road to the future Mallard Creek Road realignment. Project started in early 2014. Completion date late 2015. WEBSITE
• UNC Charlotte entrance upgrade at Cameron Boulevard – Add a signalized entrance and additional left and right turn lanes at Cameron Drive and University City Boulevard. Project start date: Work began this spring. Completion date: August 2015. WEBSITE
• Prosperity Village Northwest Arc Phase II. Prosperity Village NW Arc Phase II will complete Benfield Road north of I-485. This will complete the loop of Benfield Road and also widen part of Prosperity Church Road. Construction to start in July and project to finish in spring 2016. WEBSITE  Background: The I-485 project through University City includes a unique 3-street grid and high-density villages of housing, retail and offices both north and south of I-485 around the Prosperity Church Road exit. The Northwest Arc Phase II completes one of the two new parallel streets that, along with Prosperity Ridge Road and the original Prosperity Church Road, form the main north-south streets in the grid. East-west roads include DeArmon, Ridge and Johnston-Oehler roads. SEE THE PLAN