The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen agreed to move forward using a STP-DA grant to improve the crosswalks at Waynick Boulevard and Causeway Drive and create a sidewalk on Coral Drive.
The $292,000 grant was originally intended to create a dual left turn at the intersection, but the new alignment was not recommended by the NCDOT due to concerns over large trucks conflicting the vehicles in the inner lane.
Without that particular project on the table, the town was faced with two options; reallocate the funds to other projects or pursue an application for the new round of STP-DA grant funds in 2015.
Board members agreed to use the current grant, but instead of creating a dual left turn, they decided instead to improve the crosswalks at the intersection, which they described as dangerous to pedestrians.
Additionally, the grant would be used to create a sidewalk on Coral Drive. Mayor Bill Blair asked the aldermen make this project a priority, and he suggested holding a public hearing to allow residents in that area to voice opinions.
“It seems to me, from the folks that I’ve talked to, that Coral Drive pedestrian improvements seem to be a pretty important thing.” Blair said. “We’ve talked about it for a number of years and haven’t done it.”
“There are so many people going up and down Coral going to school,” mayor pro-tem Darryl Mills added. “It’s a safety thing. There may be some pushback from people seeing their front yards decreasing.”
The board decided to seek outside opinions to determine how to create safer crosswalks at the intersection.
“Let’s take this idea, and give it to the NPO,” Blair “And they might engineer it.”
