The Polk County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 9 approved an amendment to the state’s 2012 secondary road plan that pushes Collinsville Road improvements back a year in order to add curb and guttering to a section of Peniel Road and to pave Adam Millis Road in Tryon and Dalton Road in Mill Spring.
Commissioners approved the amendment unanimously after meeting with N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) District Engineer Steve Cannon to review the changes. The county held a public hearing Monday on the amendment with no comments being made.
Cannon said Columbus Town Manager Jonathan Kanipe told DOT the town wanted the Peniel Road resurfacing project to include curb and drainage so the town can install sidewalks at a later date.
The amendment will take funds from the Collinsville Road widening project, estimated at approximately $520,000, in order to include the improvements to Peniel Road and Walker Street in Columbus, estimated at $250,000. Cannon said the Collinsville Road project would be moved to the 2013 schedule.
With the leftover funding, the state will pave Adam Millis and Dalton roads, both of which are currently unpaved.
Hidden Hill Road resident Howard Greene has requested the paving of Adam Millis Road for decades. Greene told DOT representatives last year that he has been trying to get Adam Millis Road paved for 60 years. He said he has repeatedly attended the state’s secondary road public hearings since the 1950s asking that the gravel road connecting Horseshoe Curve and Hidden Hill Roads be paved.
The Adam Millis project is expected to cost $40,000 and includes grading, drainage, base and paving the unpaved road.
The Dalton Road project is projected to cost $220,000 and also includes grading, drainage, base and paving the unpaved road.
The Peniel Road improvements are planned between the Columbus city limits and Hwy. 108, particularly between the Holly Hills subdivision and the Walker Street/Peniel Road intersection.
Columbus Mayor Eric McIntyre sent commissioners a letter urging the board to approve the amendment.
“The town regularly receives complaints regarding drainage, walkability and safety for this section of road,” states McIntyre in his letter. “Drainage improvements will improve safety, as any issues with water running over the road could be addressed during this time. Furthermore, these improvements are a necessary precursor for any sidewalk installation along this road.”
McIntyre said Holly Hills has approximately 52 homes and several other homes could also connect to downtown through a potential sidewalk.
Other projects in the DOT’s 2012 plan include improvements to Thermal View Drive in Lynn and Wilderness Drive in Tryon Township.
The state’s 2012 plan is budgeted at $674,000, including the road improvements and other spot stabilizations, surveys and safety signage throughout the county.
Commissioner Ted Owens also asked Cannon when paving can be done along Hwy. 9 in Mill Spring. Cannon said the state has ranked Hwy. 9 improvements and they are three to four years out.
Commissioners agreed to draft a resolution requesting the state put Hwy. 9 improvements higher on the priority list. Commissioners plan to adopt the resolution at their next meeting in August.
Commissioner Ray Gasperson also asked Cannon about double striping being done along Hwy. 108 in Lynn. Cannon said he has been assured the section Gasperson referred to will be double striped by the end of this fiscal year.
The DOT holds a public hearing annually to get feedback from Polk residents regarding the county’s secondary road needs.