Transportation Improvement Projects
Greenways
The Town has several greenway trails. These trails have been popular with local residents as well as employees of surrounding businesses and industries. A greenway helps improve air quality by reducing the number of vehicle trips; helps improve health by providing safer routes for walking, running or biking; and, builds connections between families and communities by providing recreational opportunities.
In 2011, the Town opened the East Lyon Station Road Greenway. This trail is part of a long range plan for bicycle and pedestrian connections throughout Butner and connecting to other trails in Granville County as part of the Granville Greenways System. The greenway was primarily funded by CMAQ (Congestion, Mitigation & Air Quality), a federal grant administered by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT). Additional funding came from a 20% match from the Town. Property owners donated the easement along the front of their properties so the greenway could be built. The trail is 0.6 miles long beginning at the Food Lion Shopping Center and ending at Telecom Drive. The Town envisions extending this trail all the way down East Lyon Station Road to Gate Two Road.
In 2015, the East Lyon Station Road to Pond Drive Greenway opened. The project was developed by Granville County, then turned over to the Town of Buter for ownership and maintenance. This 1/2 mile trail connects to the existing 0.6 mile East Lyon Station Road Greenway, providing more than a mile of trails on the eastern part of the Town. The Town envisions extending this trail up Pond Drive to Highway 56 and providing a pedestrian crosswalk across Hwy 56.
In 2017, the Town began the process of extending the East Lyon Station Road Greenway an additional 0.42 miles. The trail is still in the design stage. Once design work is completed, it will go out to bid for construction. The Town anticipates the extension will be completed in 2018. Upon completion, the Greenway will extend approximately 1.5 miles from Pond Drive to just past Three Wishes along East Lyon Station Road.
Sidewalks
New sidewalks have been constructed on Central Avenue, D Street and 24th Street from 2011 to 2016. These sidewalks were funded in part by various grants. They have become quite popular with area residents who use them for recreational purposes, but also to walk to area businesses and restaurants along Central Avenue.
Future Realignment of West Lyon Station Road
Due to certain constraints for gaining access to the northern end of the Butner Gateway on NC Hwy 56, the Town laid the groundwork to have West Lyon Station Road realigned. For the property across the road to be developed, access off NC Hwy 56 can only be gained at a point halfway between the I-85 South exit ramp and the railroad. It also may have been difficult to get NC DOT approval for that access point without the realignment. The realignment takes into consideration existing development, future traffic demands based on growth within Butner Gateway, and the future expansion of the NC Hwy 56 corridor. The Town worked with Kimley-Horn to develop the realignment design and acquire property and right-of-way. The realignment has been approved for funding through NC DOT.
Street Maintenance
Ownership and maintenance of streets and right-of-ways are divided among three main entities within the Town: NC DOT, Town of Butner and Private streets (HOA or property owner maintained). Part of street ownership and maintenance is resurfacing the asphalt, repairing road damage (like potholes), repairing or replacing storm drainage pipes, and ditch repairs within the right-of-way. Weather permitting, the following projects are scheduled to be started on January 8th and completed within 120 days: resurface East F Street from Central Avenue to 33rd Street; replace several storm drainage pipes that cross under F Street (prior to resurfacing the street); and, replacing the large pipe(s) between 28th and 29th Streets on East F Street with a large box culvert to help alleviate flooding in that area between East E and East F Streets.
