Freedom Drive Widening

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Freedom Drive (NC 27) Widening

Freedom Drive
This project will widen Freedom Drive to four lanes from Edgewood Road to Toddville Road.

What's happened? City Council awarded the construction contract to Blythe Construction in January 2012 and construction began April 2, 2012.

What's next? Construction began in April 2012 and is 45% complete. The contractor, Blythe Construction has completed installing new asphalt pavement, storm drain pipe, and most of the sidewalk and curb & gutter along the eastbound travel lanes of Freedom Drive from Toddville to Edgewood/Bradford. This is done in order to shift traffic to the south side of Freedom Drive, currently scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2013. Upon shifting the traffic, the contractor will begin construction on the north side of Freedom. Construction should be complete by fall 2014.

Click here to view March 2011 newsletter.
Click here to view the March 2012 newsletter.
Click here to view the April 2013 newsletter.

Who to contact: Geen Cheng Khoo, 704-336-4492

A 1998 Transportation Bond Project

This transportation project will widen existing Freedom Drive from I-85 (Edgewood Road/Bradford Drive) to Toddville Road. The road will be widened from a two lane road to a four lane median divided facility.

Click here for IMPORTANT Road Closure Information.

The improvements will include bicycle lanes, sidewalks, planting strips, and street lighting on wooden poles.

Objectives:

Follow the Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) transportation plan.
Improve safety by widening existing Freedom Drive from I-85 (Edgewood Road/Bradford Drive) to Toddville Road.
Build bicycle lanes, planting strips, and sidewalks Follow the Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) transportation plan.

Delays to Project:

When the project began design work, it was under 1998 EPA rules on crossing regulated streams which allowed the existing culvert to be extended or replaced without a permit as long as stream impacts were less than 300 feet.
In 2002, the EPA regulations changed, requiring several permits for stream crossings and a due diligence period of 18-24 months for the City to show it looked at every reasonable alternative to preserve stream wetlands.
During that time, the project team examined roadway alignments, compared bridges to culverts and studied alternatives with least wetland impact.
The bid and construction phases are contingent upon the utility relocation phase. Utility relocation is underway and should be complete by the end of 2012.

Cost: $27,250,000

Please note that this figure includes all costs associated with the project such as planning and design, acquiring the right of way, utility relocation, signalization, consultant fees, construction, permits and landscaping.

The Engineering & Property Management (E&PM) project team will manage the Freedom Drive Widening Project through a four stage process. Specific work is conducted during each stage with an emphasis on public involvement during the planning and design phases. Click here to learn how City projects are selected, designed and built.

Project Contacts:
Geen Cheng Khoo, P.E., Engineering Project Manager, 704-336-4492
Veronica Wallace, P.E., Transportation Project Manager, 704-336-7401