Tyler Beardsley and Anthony Roberts with DOT and construction officials
April 3. It looks like the Jetton Road rebuild project will be a massive undertaking, the likes of which Cornelius has never seen.
“This construction will be tough and dirty, but hopefully nothing compared to the DDI,” one official said, referring to the construction process on Catawba Avenue over I-77.
Beginning Monday April 13 the two-mile stretch of Jetton (correctly pronounced J’tun) will be rebuilt from West Catawba to just past John Connor Road starting Monday April 13.
Because of construction and engineering flaws dating back to when Crescent Resources developed The Peninsula 25 years ago, the road bed will be dug down and ground down to about 15 inches, as much as five time deeper than an ordinary repaving job.
Jim Duke was the head of the PPOA before being elected to the Town Board
This is an unprecedented rebuild, with major concerns about dust, dirt and road fragments, as well as a roughly two-inch drop from existing pavement down to the rocks that will become the road during parts of the construction.
The recommended speed will be no more than 20 mph. Egress in and out of The Peninsula and adjacent neighborhoods may be blocked for up to 5 minutes at a time.
Blythe Brothers Asphalt, which has the $1.46 million contract to repave Jetton, should finish the project in mid-June when the home-selling season is in full swing.
Construction officials expressed concerns about speeding on Jetton and the safety of construction workers. Work will begin at 7 a.m. each day and two lanes will be closed.
Although the Town of Cornelius has recently engaged Davidson-based Alta Planning + Design to develop a cycling plan, there are no plans for bike lanes on the four-lane road which is a popular route for cyclists.
Members of the town’s now-dormant Transportation Advisory Board recommended changing lowering the speed limit on Jetton from 45 mph to 35 mph. The TAB no longer meets.
There are also apparently no firm plans to lower the speed limit on Jetton. The Town of Cornelius has agreed to take over the road’s maintenance from the state when the rebuild is complete.
Town Commissioner Jim Duke, said he was in favor of lowering the speed limit in the 45 mph area because of concerns about the safety of children, pedestrians and cyclists.
