Expect delays with new safety measures at 2 Lake Norman intersections, town says
Expect delays as a state contractor installs new traffic safety measures at two traffic-clogged intersections in Davidson, town officials said this week.
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The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to install temporary three-way stop signs at the intersections during a road project that’s already created mind-numbing traffic snarls and angry and confused drivers.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 3, drivers can expect the new signs at the intersections of Potts Street and Catawba Avenue and Catawba Avenue and South Main Street, according to a town news release.
The state hopes the signs will improve driver and pedestrian safety during work that’s worsened traffic at the intersections, officials said.
The work is part of a $15 million NCDOT contract to complete two complementary projects that aim to lessen congestion in Cornelius and Davidson. Virginia-based Caton Construction Group is doing the work.
The first project will create a roundabout at the intersection of N.C. 115 and Potts Street in Cornelius, replacing the existing T-intersection.
“The intersection will be shifted west of its current location, requiring a portion of both NC 115 and Potts Street to be realigned,” according to an NCDOT news release in March.
The companion project will join Potts, Sloan and Beatty streets in Davidson, creating a parallel route to N.C. 115. Roundabouts will be built near the N.C. 115-Potts Street intersection and at the existing Sloan/Beatty/Griffith street intersection.
NCDOT did a “comprehensive traffic study” that determined the need for the three-way stop signs at Potts Street and Catawba Avenue and Catawba Avenue and South Main Street, according to the town of Davidson news release.
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“While the study identified an expected increase in vehicle queue times, particularly along Potts Street, the anticipated safety benefits were the primary factor for the Town in supporting the recommendation,” town officials said in the release.
At least at first, Davidson police will increase their presence at the intersections, officials said.
Expect delays as drivers get used to the new signs, officials said.
The state will likely remove the added stop signs when the two projects open, town officials said. Work in the South Main Street area is expected to wrap up by the end of summer, NCDOT spokesperson Jen Goodwin has said.
“The Town of Davidson appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation as these safety improvements are implemented,” officials said in the news release.
Two South Main Street restaurant owners complained to the Observer this year about a significant loss in trade due to the work.
Habibi Lebanon Bar & Grill experienced a $20,000 drop in business in April alone, executive chef/owner Nazira Atme told the Observer at her restaurant in the South Main Square retail center in May.
Business is still down, Robert McCrary, owner with his wife, Eileen, of the Crazy Pig BBQ Taphouse next to Habibi Lebanon, told the Observer at his restaurant Thursday.
He expects the signs will only worsen backups, which he said discourage some in town from trekking to his six-year-old BBQ establishment.
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