Walkers search for safer routes

Ankit Patel cut right, hesitated, waited for an opening and then hit the hole, reaching pay dirt moments later.

No, Patel is not UNC's newest tailback.

He is in his second year at the UNC School of Law and, because of construction, is frequently is forced to dart across the middle of South Road near the intersection with Country Club Road.

For several weeks construction on one side of the intersection has closed one of the sidewalks, forcing a dangerous detour across five lanes of traffic on one of Chapel Hill's busiest roads.

Pedestrians' other options include walking along a plastic barrier - without the aid of either a walkway or crosswalk - where cars, buses and construction equipment pass within a hair's breadth.

To help alleviate the danger involved in crossing, the construction company began backfilling Tuesday so the area would be clear for pedestrian and motor traffic, said Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

Construction will be suspended through Sunday, when a pedestrian-safety plan is expected to be complete.

"During this time the pedestrian access should be clear," Young said. "Construction will be resuming next Monday, but by then the construction company will have a pedestrian-safety plan."

He said construction will move farther down Country Club Road so it won't block the crosswalk several days after construction resumes.

Students with concerns about road crossings or other safety issues are encouraged to call public safety at 843-PEDS, Young said.

For commuters like Patel, the help could not come soon enough.

"During rush hour it's particularly problematic," he said.

"I went to another university for undergrad. Whenever they did construction they put a particular crosswalk or walkway there," Patel said, referring to his time at the University of South Carolina.

Many of the pedestrians are law students who park at the nearby Highway 54 Visitors Lot.

If visitors and students want to stop by the Center for Dramatic Art or Cobb Residence Hall, they must cross back at the top of the street where heavy traffic flow makes crossing just as treacherous.

"I just wish it would end," said Rhenelda Lewis, a third-year law student.

Lewis, who has been crossing the street for two years, said she wants to know how much longer the construction will take.

"I'm normally a cautious crosser," she said. "I'm always conscious that the pedestrian rules don't always apply. I respect heavy machinery."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.