Durham, NC East End Connector

Fast Facts

Project # U-0071 and U-3308
Type: New roadway
Affected Counties: Durham
Estimated Cost: $189.9 million
Construction Start Date: April 2014

Description

The East End Connector (project U-0071) would provide a 3.7-mile direct connection between the Durham Freeway (NC 147) and US 70 (Miami Boulevard). Improvements will also be made to U.S. 70 from Pleasant Drive to north of Holloway Street (NC 98).

In conjunction with this project, Alston Avenue (NC 55) will also be widened to a mostly four-lane divided roadway from the Durham Freeway to U.S. 70. The project (U-3308) will also include curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the East End Connector and the Alston Avenue widening are planned to help ease congestion in the region and to accommodate future growth. There currently is no direct connection between the Durham Freeway and U.S. 70, which are major east-west thoroughfares attracting a lot of traffic.

The East End Connector is expected to provide a link between these two routes, as well as other major routes including I-85 and I-40. The NCDOT believes that providing this link is expected to reduce the impact on local streets and communities where drivers are currently cutting through to get to these routes.

News/Publications

• The Street: "Alarmed Durham Property Owners Offered Crash Course in Negotiating Eminent Domain Cases"
• International Business Times: "Alarmed Durham Property Owners Offered Crash Course in Negotiating Eminent Domain Cases"

Maps

Schedule

• Environmental Assessment: December 2009
• Finding of No Significant Impact: Fall 2010
• Right-of-Way Takings to Begin: April 2012
• Construction to Begin: April 2014

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has identified the East End Connector as a priority project.

Right-of-way takings for the Alston Avenue widening are scheduled to begin in September 2012, with construction scheduled to start in December 2014.

Property Takings

The NCDOT has already started contacting owners in the areas to be affected by the East End Connector and the Alston Avenue widening. The budget for property takings for the East End Connector is estimated at $49.9 million. The budget for property takings for the Alston Avenue widening is estimated at $800,000.

Details about the final route for the East End Connector are not currently available on the DOT's website. However, news reports have estimated that 21 homes and 15 businesses will be taken, and more than 150 properties will be affected.

If your property will be affected, contact one of our attorneys for a free case evaluation.