A resurfacing project making Avent Ferry Road bumpier than normal will improve traffic flow for cars, bikes and pedestrians, according to city and state officials.

Road crews are working to resurface Avent Ferry Road from Western Boulevard to Athens Drive. The N.C. Department of Transportation resurfacing project is ongoing, according to Cadmus Capehart, NCDOT resident engineer and overseer of the resurfacing project.

Rea Contracting can work to resurface the road any time except 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Work should be expected during daytime and nighttime hours except during those times. We ask that motorists pay attention to the work zone signs and slow down while passing by the work area,” Capehart said.

Students eager for project to wrap up

Haley Arnold, a freshman in biological sciences, wasn’t expecting the road in front of Avent Ferry Complex to be torn up when she arrived at the dorm for her first semester. Arnold said crossing at the Avent Ferry-Western intersection has been a little tricky.

Kevin Qian, a junior in electrical engineering who lives in the College Inn, said he hoped the project would be completed soon.

“They’ve been at it a while; it looks like they’ve finished up something over there,” Qian said, pointing at the southbound outside lane of Avent Ferry.

There have been delays during the resurfacing, according to Capehart.

“The Department [of Transportation] is pushing to have Avent Ferry Road resurfaced as soon as possible. More patching has been required than originally anticipated,” Capehart said. “In addition, this past winter was severely harsh on our roadways.”

Road crews finished the first two stages of the project: removing the top layer of asphalt from Avent Ferry and patching up deteriorated areas. Workers are now reinstalling signal loops, sensors that recognize the presence of vehicles on a road and control traffic signals.

“Paving of the final [layer] of asphalt will begin in the next couple of weeks, weather permitting,” Capehart said.

Once it’s finished, the revamped thoroughfare should be easier for students to navigate whether they’re driving, cycling or walking, according to Capehart.

Wider lanes on tap at Western intersection

NCDOT has worked with the City of Raleigh to further a plan to make the city more bicycle-friendly, said Eric Lamb, manager of transportation services division for the city of Raleigh public works department.

“It’s a bit piecemeal, but we are starting to add system continuity … for cycling. We’re slowly chipping away and making a more connective [cycling] network through Raleigh,” Lamb said.

This means wider right lanes for the resurfaced Avent Ferry Road in certain spots — and bike lanes in other areas.

Avent Ferry from Western Boulevard to Centennial Drive will feature four traffic lanes and a turn lane. But the resurfaced right-hand lanes will have extra shoulder space “to make it safer for cars and cyclists to share the road,” Lamb said.

The right-hand lanes on Avent Ferry between Centennial Drive and Gorman Street will be narrower, but “once you pass over Gorman Street, five lanes become three lanes with a bike lane on each side. That [configuration] will carry you all the way down to Athens [Drive],” Lamb said.

Bike lanes to connect with Kaplan city project

Raleigh officials also have plans to add bike lanes on Gorman Street from Avent Ferry Road to Kaplan Drive, which will connect with the bike lanes from Avent Ferry to Athens Drive.

“We’re trying to work with NCDOT in several areas to retrofit streets to make them more bike-friendly. NCDOT has been extremely helpful in coordinating with us on these plans,” Lamb said.

Arnold has a bike but has not been eager to ride on Avent Ferry Road, opting to walk instead.

“If there were wider shoulders and bike lanes, I think I’d be more likely to ride my bike [on Avent Ferry Road],” Arnold said.