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Project Overview

Section A of this project has been completed.  Progress on Section B is underway.

The proposed project involves widening approximately 1.5 miles of U.S. 15-501, just north of downtown Pittsboro in Chatham County.

The existing undivided, two-lane typical section south of U.S. 64 will be widened to a three-lane roadway. 

The roadway will consist of:

• two-lanes with a continuous center turn lane
• curb and gutter
• a five-foot sidewalk on the western side
• a 10-foot multi-use path on the eastern side

 Intersections with collector roads will also be upgraded.

The roadway will remain open during construction and a detour will not be required.

This project is divided into two sections: 

Section A of this project has been completed and provided improvements to U.S. 15 / U.S. 501, south of U.S. 64 Business to north of U.S. 64 Business.

Section B is a continuation of roadway and streetscape improvements that were completed with Section A.  Section B involves milling and resurfacing U.S. 15 / U.S. 501 from north of U.S. 64 Business to Launis Street and widening the roadway from Launis Street to Powell Place Lane.

Vicinity Map:

Purpose and Need:

The primary purpose of this project is to improve existing and projected traffic flow and operational efficiency on U.S. 15-501(Hillsboro Street).

The corridor is classified as a north-south principal arterial that provides a direct connection between downtown Pittsboro and US 64 and serves the inter-county travel demands between Chatham County and Orange and Durham counties.

Future traffic through the project study area will result in capacity deficiencies causing congestion and delays.  The proposed project would address the need to increase capacity and enhance mobility for vehicles by allowing for an acceptable level of service (LOS) and keep the roadway functioning properly as a major arterial. The project also would enhance mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists along the corridor as they are not adequately served on the existing roadway. In addition, safety may be improved as rear end crashes are typically caused by slowing down due to congestion. On undivided highways with multiple driveways lacking dedicated turn lanes like U.S. 15-501(Hillsboro Street), slowing down may also be due to vehicles waiting to make left turns against oncoming traffic. The proposed improvements and addition of the dedicated turn lane will help to improve the flow of traffic and may improve safety along the roadway.  

Level of Service

Typical Section:

Public Involvement

Public Meeting Summary

An Open-House Public Meeting was held on June 18, 2019 to obtain stakeholder and public input regarding the project.  Eight (8) local officials and 34 citizens attended the meeting. A summary of the comments received at the meeting, by mail/email, and through the project website survey are included below.

After reviewing the plans/typical section, how supportive are you of adding a center turn lane to U.S. 15-501 in the project area? 

                65%        Very Supportive

                32%        Somewhat Supportive

                3%          Unsupportive

How supportive are you of adding a sidewalk on the western side of the project?

                80%        Very Supportive

                13%        Somewhat Supportive

                6%          Neutral

How supportive are you of adding a multi-use path on the east side of the project?

                82%        Very Supportive

                12%        Not Sure

                6%          Somewhat Supportive

Are there community impacts that you are concerned about? 

                38%        Residences

                33%        Streams

                14%        Businesses

                10%        Parks

                5%          Churches

Is there any additional information that you would like to receive regarding the project?

                78%        No, I have the information needed

                22%        Yes, I need more information

General Summary of Comments

The majority of the respondents (more than 80%) were supportive (very or somewhat) of the addition of the turn lane as well as the sidewalk and multi-use path. Resources of concern were primarily residences, streams, and businesses.  Additional comments are listed below and the number of times the comment was received.

The turn lane is too wide and should be reduced to decrease impacts - 4
Concern for right-of-way impacts to residential properties along the roadway - 4
Recommended minimizing tree removal - 3
Concern over runoff/flooding - 3
Support for the project - 3
Question why a bypass is not being considered – 2
Concern over access impacts to businesses - 2

Project Funding

This project is listed as Project R-5724 in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and is funded for $29 million with prior year costs of $4.7 million (including Section A).

* Section B only.  Estimated costs, subject to change.  

** Prior Year Costs including Section A.

Project Timeline

* Future dates are preliminary and subject to change

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION 

Morgan DeWit, PE

Project Manager

NCDOT Highway Division 8

121 DOT Drive 

Carthage, NC  28327

Title VI Feedback

To ensure we’re hearing from a broad set of voices, would you be willing to share (completely anonymously) some information about yourself?

If so, please click here https://publicinput.com/NCDOT-Title-VI-Form

RESOURCES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS 

Although the N.C. Department of Transportation works to minimize the number of homes and businesses displaced by a road project, it is inevitable, in many cases, that a certain amount of private property is needed. The following information explains right of way acquisition and answers questions about the process.  

     
Right-of-Way Brochure Single Page Layout      Folleto del Proceso de Adquisición de Bienes Raíces
Right-of-Way Frequently Asked Questions

Right of way Acquisition Process Videos

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Page last updated: February 9, 2026