| 114th Year, 45th Issue | Thursday, June 19, 2003 | Sparta, North Carolina |
A current N.C. Department of Transportation project should put several miles of U.S. 21 in better shape, enhance and expand sidewalks downtown and provide for less dangerous turning at one of the Alleghany County's busiest intersections by late summer.
However, the junction of "stop" and "slow" will continue to be a common sight between now and then.
David Poindexter, resident engineer with the DOT, described the work as a pavement preservation project. The project has two parts: one in town ending at Sunset Drive, the other starting at Sunset Drive and proceeding southward to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The general contractor is James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction of Jefferson.
In the Business District
The focal point of the town portion is the intersection of U.S. 21 (Main Street) and Grandview Drive. Grandview will be widened about 10 feet in the vicinity of the intersection, Poindexter said, changing the turning radius, which should make it easier for trucks to negotiate the corner.
Grandview connects U.S. 21 with the Sparta Parkway, also known as the bypass. The project to widen the intersection spent about two years on hold, with town officials unable to contact the owners of the First Charter Bank location to gain an easement.
Prefco, a Connecticut-based land holding company, was the owner of the property.
That situation was resolved, Poindexter said. He did not have details. However, records from the Alleghany County Register of Deeds office indicated that Prefco Five Limited Partnership and Prefco V Holdings LLC transferred a tract of land to First States Investors 4000D LLC on April 28.
The work along U.S. 21 includes replacing curb and gutter sections and
sidewalks in that same vicinity, starting about 150 feet north of
Grandview. Sidewalks will be installed on both sides of Main Street
near the Trojan Village Shopping Center, said Poindexter.
|
Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back |