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Rolesville mayor not happy with result of new bypass

The long-awaited Rolesville Bypass is expected to open next week, but Rolesville Mayor Frank Eagles is not happy with the result.

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ROLESVILLE, N.C. — The long-awaited Rolesville Bypass is expected to open next week, but Rolesville Mayor Frank Eagles is not happy with the result.

The six-mile bypass, which runs from Perry Creek to near Jonesville Road, includes a "superstreet" intersection at East Young Street. Motorists will turn right, drive a few hundred feet, then make a U-turn.

The "superstreet" intersection is equipped with traffic signals facing three directions, but Eagles wants the intersection to be fully signalized.

"It is supposed to be fully signalized - it is what we were told all along," he said.

He showed WRAL a 2014 letter from a state Department of Transportation engineer that said the intersection "WILL be signalized."

Eagles said the missing signal is imperative and that a stop sign is not enough.

"All of the fire trucks, all of the EMS are coming from that way,” he explained. “All of the school busses picking up the high school kids are going to have to go that way.”

He said the stop sign will also stall traffic.

"Each vehicle will have to pull up, stop, pull up stop, pull up, stop," he said.

DOT spokesperson Steve Abbott said the department could consider adding a fourth traffic light.

"When the project was designed several years ago, the traffic counts and all of that kind of stuff didn't justify have a signal there," Abbot said.

Abbot said the signal would not be in place before the bypass opened.

Eagles sent a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory’s office on Tuesday regarding the traffic light. He said he has not received a response.

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