Orange traffic cones, traffic signs, and construction workers are being seen everywhere along Peace Street, which is making the commute more difficult for many at William Peace University.
There’s only one lane of traffic open in each direction, causing delays, traffic back-ups and overall chaos when vehicles have a hard time making it through traffic lights.
Last year, road construction began on Peace Street and hasn’t slowed down since.
The street was reduced down to one lane of traffic in each direction and still remains that way due to road construction that has taken place on the Peace Street overpass and the Wade Avenue bridge over Capital Boulevard.
The construction process started due to the Peace Street bridge being over 65 years old, and not getting a good rating.
According to North Carolina Department of Transportation, the bridge over Peace Street had a 44.9 sufficiency rating out of a possible 100. The Wade Avenue bridge is over 60 years old and has a low sufficiency rating as well, including a vehicle weight limit.
Businesses such as Endless Grind along Peace Street say that due to the road construction happening at their parking lot, their business is hurting since the construction process has made people think they are not open.
The majority of Peace students last semester did not have a hard time getting to class on time with the road construction as it had just started. That is not the case now since construction is in full swing and traffic is noticeably worse.
“The traffic has caused me delays in the morning and afternoon. In the morning, I have to leave 40 minutes earlier than usual so I can get here on time,” said WPU sophomore, Nada Ahmed.
WPU’s Director of Public Safety, Michael John, sent out an email Jan. 23 stating the changes to the road construction on Peace Street and what impact it will have for those who commute to Peace.
A traffic lane that has been closed due to construction will be open while another traffic lane is closed off for more construction to take place. Dortch Street is now closed off and will remain that way for at least a couple weeks.
According to NCDOT, Capital Boulevard and Peace Street will still remain open to traffic from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays to make rush hour traffic flow easier. However, there may be lane restrictions. Road construction is scheduled to take place between midnight and 5 a.m. Weekend road and interchange closures are possible from 9 p.m. Fridays until 6 a.m. Mondays.
To name a few of the changes that are planned to happen, bike lanes will be added to Peace Street between the end of the ramp, and sidewalks will be widened along Peace Street and most of the surrounding area.
The road construction is supposed to last until this summer, but that could change depending on weather conditions causing the construction process to delay.