By Jim Buice

The Clemmons Courier

A couple of highway projects that both received recent consideration from the Clemmons Village Council are still alive for possible DOT funding in the state transportation rankings’ new scoring process.

Village manager Gary Looper told the Council in Monday night’s meeting that the Idols Road Extension project (construction of a new two-lane road from Hampton Road to U.S. 158) had made the final cut for 18 projects on the division level.

In addition, Lewisville-Clemmons Road also remains in play in highway projects scored and ranked by the Winston-Salem Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The Council originally voted in favor of sending all 40 points in its assignment to the Lewisville-Clemmons Road project in its May 27 meeting, following the recommendation of Looper that it had the most favorable overall qualitative ranking from the NCDOT Division.

However, after that meeting, Mayor Nick Nelson, who is the Transportation Advisory Committee representative for the Village, received information from fire chief Jerry Brooks on his concerns of decreased response time from emergency response vehicle and safety issues with the addition of a median on the busy stretch from I-40 to U.S. 158.

After reaching out to Council members, Nelson opted to shift the points assignment to Idols Road because of those concerns and knowing that the group had agreed it was also a viable project. Nelson couldn’t wait until the next meeting on June 9 to discuss the situation in public because of a June 6 deadline to award points.

Looper got the breakdown of the rankings after a Strategic Transportation Investment meeting on June 19. So now it’s a waiting game to see what happens.

“The projects on those sheets could be funded,” Looper said in reviewing the project list. “There is no guarantee. The TAC, after 30-day public comment period, will finalize this ranking on July 17.

“The Idols Road project, which has been on the books for 15-plus years, is one of the 18 projects. We’ll just have to wait and see how the revenues come in. Idols Road, construction wise, is $9 million to $10 million. There are 17 other projects on that list outside Clemmons. It still depends on how the DOT views the benefit of a particular project and which ones they’re going to pick up to be funded.”

Lewisville-Clemmons Road, with a projected price tag of $75 million, is on another list but isn’t out of the running.

“Lewisville-Clemmons Road is on the division level input list, but using common sense, if division and TAC staff thought it was important enough to put on that list, then it’s probably important enough to get some funding. But that’s all somewhat subjective.”

Roundabout at Peace Haven & Harper roads

Looper also reported that the DOT started work last week on drainage issues at the intersection of Peace Haven Road and Harper Road, where a roundabout will be built this summer.

“They have about 20 working days of work on that,” he said. “After drainage work is completed, then they start work on the road proper and will have to shut down that traffic circle.”

Looper projected that will probably happen in the next three to four weeks, depending on the weather. Then it will take about three weeks to construct the traffic circle with the plan to make sure everything is completed before the start of school.

“A bunch of notices will be put out to that effect,” he said. “We just don’t know the exact dates. We’re just giving people a heads up that it’s coming so you can plan your summer routes appropriately.”

New traffic signal

In another traffic-related matter, Looper said that the new traffic signal on Lewisville-Clemmons Road at Towncenter Drive should be in place by September.

Planner Megan Ledbetter said: “If all the stars align, that work will be done with the signal and Chris Parr’s work (with the apartment complex) will be done to Lewisville-Clemmons Road.” 

In other business, the Council:

• Approved contracts for the Village Point Greenway with Summit Design and Engineering Services ($126,203 for contract administration) and with The Hurley Group ($894,112 for construction).

• Approved an amended agreement with Forsyth County and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office for community policing with the addition of a statement that statistical information relevant to the activities within the corporate limits of the Village will now be provided.

• Approved an audit contract with Cannon & Company.

• Recognized Lee Reynolds, who served on the Planning Board from 2008 to 2014, and Ralph McBride, who served on the Stormwater Advisory Board from 2011 to 2014, with certificates of appreciation for their service.

• Heard from councilman Mike Rogers during Council comments. He recognized the efforts of Daniel Watkins, a Scout from Troop 705 who held a spaghetti dinner Sunday night at Lewisville United Methodist Church to raise money to build items for the Village’s Community Garden.