The rebuilt Cameron Blvd intersection at University City Blvd awaits traffic signals.

Just like the rest of University City, UNC Charlotte is undergoing numerous road and light-rail improvements. Two of the projects should make significant improvements to getting on and off campus and moving across it – the signalized entrance at Cameron Boulevard and NC 49, and the realignment of Phillips Road so that it flows into Craver Road at a new intersection with Cameron Boulevard.

The Cameron-NC 49 traffic light will give the campus its second left-turn exit onto University City Boulevard and also provide safe bike and pedestrian travel between the growing South Village residential area and nearby Town Center Plaza.

Details and estimated completion dates:

• Phillips Road realignment, with new Toby Creek bridge and new four-way intersection with Cameron Boulevard at Craver Road – Difficulty installing bridge supports has pushed back the project completion date until late October. Traffic can move around the construction area while bridge work continues.
• Cameron Boulevard-NC 49 intersection improvements – Work is nearly finished on the vastly improved campus entrance near the South Village residential area. The project awaits installation of traffic-signal mast arms. Completion by late October.
• Cameron Boulevard improvements between NC 49 and Alumni Way – Add street lights, sidewalks and bike lanes. Completion by late October.
• Left-turn entrance from W.T. Harris Boulevard onto Alumni Way – Most constructions has been done. Completion by late October.
• Mary Alexander Road improvements – Replace or add sidewalks and bike lanes from the Van Landingham glen area to the campus edge, plus add two buss-stop pull-off areas. Completion by March 2016.
• Cameron Boulevard intersection at Mary Alexander Road – Add traffic signal and bike lanes. Completion by March 2016.

LYNX Blue Line Extension light-rail construction

The Blue Line Extension will end here beside the North Campus.

If you haven’t visited campus by way of North Tryon Street recently, you are in for a huge surprise and possibly some traffic delays. Construction of the light-rail line between UNC Charlotte and Center City has transformed North Tryon and part of campus into a swath of barrels, barricades, beeping construction vehicles and long stretches of dust.

The $1.2 billion project is on schedule for completion in spring 2017. Once the trains start running, passengers boarding at campus will reach downtown in about 22 minutes. The existing Blue Line continues for another 10 miles nearly to Pineville.

Among the landmarks you’ll spot this fall along North Tryon and on campus:

• New traffic lanes – Construction crews are building new traffic lanes on the outer edges of North Tryon between campus and Old Concord Road and removing the old pavement to make room for two future sets of tracks and transit stations in the greatly widened median.
• Parking decks – The big structures rising at J.W. Clay Boulevard and two miles away near the I-85 entrance are future parking decks for people who want to drive into Charlotte, park here for free and ride the LYNX to Center City or other destinations. Transit stations will be built in the nearby median.
• Big ditch north of Institute Circle – The light-rail line will drop below grade at this point and then travel beneath the northbound lanes of North Tryon Street and onto campus.
• Wide path through the woods along North Tryon Street – The tracks will enter campus at this point and proceed across Toby Creek, visible in the distance.
• Bridge over Toby Creek – a long bridge is under construction across Toby Creek, Toby Creek Greenway and a campus nature preserve. If you walk Toby Creek Greenway to the construction zone, you will see a temporary causeway and much smaller bridge. These are necessary to build the bigger bridge and will be removed (and the nature preserve restored) once the light-rail line goes into operation.
• Grading and equipment beside Cameron Boulevard – The final station on the Blue Line Extension will rise along Cameron Boulevard near the North Village of student housing.

Learn more about BLE

Learn all about Charlotte’s Blue Line Extension at the project website.