Sandy Forks Road in Raleigh to get upgrade

Drivers say the road is a mess, but officials with the City of Raleigh say a new road is on the way.

“This road has a lot of potholes, alligator-cracking in the pavement,” said Chris Johnson, manager of the city’s Design/Construction Division.

The City Council in 2012 approved a plan to redesign the road, and council members approved a final design Tuesday.

“It’s going to become less of a cut-through to more of a residential-style road.” Johnson said.

The reconstruction will include a raised median that will separate two lanes of traffic to increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. The design will also widen the road with curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and striped bicycle lanes along both sides.

“It’s a nice walkable community so we’ll have a lot of areas where people can cross the street more safely,” Johnson said.

The new Sandy Forks will also be Raleigh’s first certified “Greenroad,” full of environmentally friendly features such as stormwater retention built into the median, a landscaping plan and LED street lighting.

The city staff’s goal is to use the experience gained through the Greenroads program to better promote sustainable infrastructure design solutions on future transportation projects.

North Raleigh resident Katie Bell said the current ride is rough and something people complain about. She said she’s looking forward to the reconstruction.

“I work in real estate, so I’ll hold the final judgment until I see the finished product," Bell said. "But I’ll be glad when it’s done,” Bell said.