The Town of Chapel Hill is taking bids for the reconstruction of Hillsborough Street between East Franklin Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“For those who ride it regularly, they’ll know that it’s in pretty rough shape right now,” said Ran Northam, the community safety communications specialist for Chapel Hill.
Megan Dale, management analyst for the Town of Chapel Hill's Public Works Department, said after a recent Town pavement condition survey, Hillsborough Street’s rating fell in the very poor category. A geotechnical company ran soil tests and gave recommendations for improvement based on their findings.
In May, the Orange Water And Sewer Authority installed a new sewer pipe underneath Hillsborough Street, furthering its rough conditions. Now that OWASA's water and sewer line replacement project is complete, the Town will be accepting contract bids for the reconstruction project until Oct. 8.
The reconstruction period is projected to start this fall or coming spring based on when contractors are available, Dale said. The Town will update residents on exact dates when the contractor is confirmed.
The reconstruction process itself will take two to four weeks.
Similar to recent work on Rosemary Street, construction will begin with milling the asphalt five to six inches and then checking for weak spots underneath the surface. Once the structural integrity has been restored, the road will be repaved and striped.
“Proper pavement maintenance is important to extend the life of our street infrastructure and facilitate safe and efficient travel for all modes of transportation,” Dale said.
Dale said Hillsborough Street serves as a collector street, meaning its purpose is to connect local to arterial roads. The road is traveled on by all different types of transportation and is vital to the Town, Dale said. Its reconstruction will make citizens’ commutes safer and more timely.
