NCDOT wants comments by Oct. 27 on taking N.E. Maynard Road under the railroad near East Chatham Street. The $83.8 million plan includes a temporary closure.
The N.C. Department of Transportation is taking public comments until Oct. 27 on its plan to carry N.E. Maynard Road under the railroad near East Chatham Street. The underpass would replace the crossing where drivers now wait for trains at street level.
NCDOT estimates the project at $83.8 million. Its project page puts right-of-way buying in summer 2027 and the start of construction in spring 2032. Both dates are subject to change.
NCDOT showed the latest designs at a public meeting Oct. 6 at First Cary United Methodist Church, 117 S. Academy St., according to its news release. Comments still count if you missed the meeting.
What NCDOT wants to build
Three rail lines cross N.E. Maynard Road at the same spot: the North Carolina Railroad, Norfolk Southern’s H-Line and CSX’s S-Line. NCDOT says the line carries freight and passenger trains east and west of Cary.
NCDOT’s recommended design, which it calls Design Concept 1, would:
- take N.E. Maynard Road under all three rail lines
- move the Chatham Street and N.E. Maynard Road intersection south of where it is now, out of the railroad corridor
- give N.E. Maynard Road two 12-foot lanes each way and a center turn lane
- give East Chatham Street one 11-foot lane each way and a center turn lane
- add sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of both streets
The project page says N.E. Maynard Road would close for a time where it now crosses the railroad. It shows a detour map and asks for comments on the detour route. It also asks about changes to driveways along both streets.
Why this design
NCDOT says Concept 1 would mean fewer relocations, including fewer homes, than the alternative. It also says it would cost less in right of way and utilities.
The rejected Design Concept 2 would have carried Maynard Road over Chatham Street and the tracks on a new alignment east of the current road.
Public comments favored Concept 1 by 63 to four, according to NCDOT. The project page does not say how many homes or businesses Concept 1 would displace. NCDOT links resources for property owners about how it buys land for road projects.
The cost
| Item | NCDOT estimate |
|---|---|
| Buying property | $37.3 million |
| Construction and utilities | $46.5 million |
| Total | $83.8 million |
NCDOT says the project is now funded for right of way and construction. It was put on hold in May 2020 for lack of money and restarted in June 2023.
The project is part of NCDOT’s Sealed Corridor Program, which closes or improves road and rail crossings between Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte.
How it got here
NCDOT held its first public meeting on the project in October 2018. About 71 people signed in, and the department received 101 comments. NCDOT says concerns centered on right of way, the need for the project, public involvement and what it called environmental justice impacts.
That same month NCDOT went door to door in the Mobile Estates and Chatham Estates communities. It also held a meeting for local business owners, which 13 attended. In 2019 it presented the project at meetings held by the N.C. Latino Congress.
What it means for you
Comments are due by Tuesday, Oct. 27. You can send them:
- Online: on the project page
- By email: MaynardRoad-GradeSeparation@publicinput.com
- By phone: 984-205-6615, then enter project code 7714
- By mail: Matthew Potter, NCDOT Rail Division, 1 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Construction is years away. Nothing changes at the crossing now. For current work on Cary roads, see our road construction and closures page.
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