About two hundred and seventeen years ago, Hillsborough Street was established to be the capital’s initial layout, but today, the street is a one-lane road full of orange barrels. The new landscape is due to the $9.9 million Hillsborough Street project that will be completed by Sept. 2010.
The City of Raleigh plans to change the road from a four-lane street to a two-lane avenue, which they hope will make vehicular and pedestrian traffic safe and efficient.
Not only will the street get wider but it will also be used to create attractive vistas and gateways by constructing two roundabouts that will work as a means to reduce the speed of traffic and keep pedestrians safe.
Jane Kirkpatrick, City of Raleigh public affairs director, said Hillsborough Street is going to change its visual appearance, be safer for pedestrians and provide more parking for vehicles, which in turn will make the street economically friendly for merchants.
“It’s going to be gorgeous and a great front yard for the state,” Kirkpatrick said. “Hillsborough Street has always been such an important part of Raleigh and we want to make it look like that again.”
Students should be careful and patient, and the entrance of NC State is going to be beautiful, she said.
“The Hillsborough Street project is going to enhance the front door of the University,” Kirkpatrick said. “I’m sure the merchants will appreciate the students’ extra support by sticking through the rough times.”
The City of Raleigh updates students about the construction on social networks such as Twitter as well as electronic newsletters.
“We’re trying to do everything possible to help avoid problems and keep students up to date about what’s going on,” Kirkpatrick said.
James Hauser, a senior in economics, said if people have to walk two blocks just to get to class then that will reduce the support for the project, but he thinks it is for the better.
“I think it’s a good idea in terms of trying to make downtown a more exciting place for people to go to,” Hauser said.
Jamal Mention, the chief executive officer of The Mention Group contracting and developing company who is a mentor for Hamlett Associates, said mentoring the Hillsborough Street project was a great opportunity for him and he is enjoying being a part of an important experience.
“The Hillsborough Street project is history in the making,” Mention said.
Mention also said the effect of completing the work is just part of the inconvenience of a construction project.
“Our goal is to reduce the amount of the inconvenience for students and pedestrians as a whole,” Mention said. “It’s different in a good way.”
He explains “different in a good way” means if they want to be able to install a pipe from across a two lane street, they’ll just shut down one lane instead of shutting down both lanes.
Installation of brick sidewalk pavers around the Bell Tower on the south side of Hillsborough Street starting at Pullen Road has been completed.
“The brick sidewalk is going to enhance and improve the look of the Pullen Park area,” Mention said.
Mention said the speed of traffic will increase in the next few months but the construction will remain consistent.”The vehicles coming through the traffic go about 40 mph but with the construction the traffic goes about 20-30 mph,” Mention said. “It that sense the construction makes it safer for pedestrians to travel.”
Kirkpatrick said there is a lot of student pedestrian traffic.
“This is going to be different for them,” she said. ” We want them to understand that they need to be safe and to be extra cautions about the construction.”
