ALBEMARLE — Two intersections directly south of the Stanly County Airport will be getting a makeover this summer, as the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced June 11 that they are ready to begin work on roundabouts for each location, with a total cost of $1.3 million.
The project is meant to improve safety along Ridge Street east of Albemarle as vehicles drive to and from the airport. The two intersections are directly after one another, where Ridge Street crosses Carters Acres Road just south of the airport, and then one intersection south of that, where Ridge Street crosses Mountain View Church Road.
Both projects will be built by Albemarle construction company NJR Group, Inc. NJR will start work on the Carters Acres Road roundabout on June 21, hoping to open traffic back up on Aug. 9. Once completed, NJR will move to the Mountain View Church Road project, with a projected completion date of Oct. 16.
Detour signs will direct traffic to Mountain View Church Road during the Carters Acres Road project, and vice versa.
Work on the surrounding vegetation will continue until April 2022.
A statement about the projects from the NC DOT states that “Roundabouts improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. They also help reduce the congestion and backups more typical at traditional intersections with stop signs and traffic signals.”