There is good news and bad news about the confluence (you can hardly call it an intersection) of Battleground Avenue, Lawndale Drive, Westover Terrace, Cornwallis Road, Pembroke Road, Green Valley Road, Sunset Drive and whatever else is in that transportation disaster area.
The good news is that the area is on the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) list of funded regional projects for an estimated $14.5 million to spend on improving traffic flow in the area. The bad news is that the state won’t start acquiring right of way for the project until 2025, with the estimated construction to begin in 2028. But what’s another nine years for an area that has been a confusing mess for over 60?
Of course, right now not much can be done because running right through the middle of the whole conglomeration of roads are old Atlantic & Yadkin rail road tracks.
The tracks still run right down the middle of the mess, but they have been abandoned and city officials say that the railroad has said it will release the right of way, but according to a member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization it hasn’t happened, yet.
That may be one reason why the right of way acquisition is not slated to begin until 2025 because by then the railroad will have certainly have deeded the right of way over to the city.
It looks like the state is serious about making that area more manageable. The description of the improvements reads, “Reconfigure Battleground (US 220), Lawndale and Westover Terrace between Fernwood and Wendover. Improve traffic flow and safety. Improve Wendover Avenue connections at Westover, Battleground Ct. and Winstead Pl. Accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and the A&Y Greenway. May include roadway bridges, pedestrian grade separations, and modifications to intersecting streets within the corridor.”
So when it happens, it’s going to involve a lot more than repainting some lines on the streets and trying to figure out how to get a little more space between the traffic lights on Lawndale and Battleground at the Cornwallis intersection.
The A&Y Greenway is slated to come down through that area connecting to the Downtown Greenway to trails to the north.