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Town Center Plan
January 2007
Chapter 3: Detailed Design
recreation and civic events. In addition,
the plan also recommends the creation of
a smaller children’s park immediately east
of the planned civic/cultural facility, and a
greenbelt park around a planned stormwater
management pond between Chapel Hill Road
and Cotten Drive north of Aviation Parkway.
These facilities would be linked together by
a network of sidewalks and greenways. A
special effort should be made to link the
Town Center area to the historic Shiloh
Community to the north via the Indian Creek
Greenway and additional sidewalks. Green
space opportunities are described in more
detail in the section on Public Spaces that
follows.
Section 2: Transportation
Overview
As Morrisville transitions rapidly from a rural
crossroads community to a small town in the
heart of the Triangle, its road network also
needs to go through a similar evolution. A
number of road improvements have already
been initiated at the intersection of Chapel Hill
RoadandMorrisville-Carpenter Road/Aviation
Parkway to help move traffic more efficiently
through this intersection. Street “E” is being
designed and built to connect Church Street
with Town Hall Drive and reduce cut-through
traffic in surrounding neighborhoods. In
addition, Crabtree Crossing Extension is
planned to connect Town Hall Drive south to
Morrisville Parkway.
New Road Improvements:
The Town
Center Design calls for additional road
improvements as well. One of these would
include turning Chapel Hill Road (NC 54)
into a “one-way pair” in which two lanes of
southbound traffic would continue to run
in the existing road right of way, and two
lanes of northbound traffic would be routed
up Cotten Drive. This project would improve
traffic flow at the intersection of Chapel Hill
RoadandMorrisville-Carpenter Road/Aviation
Parkway by moving left turns for eastbound
traffic on Aviation Parkway heading north
on Chapel Hill Road east away from the
current intersection. It would also allow
for two “through” lanes to be built in each
direction heading north and south on Chapel
Hill Road, as well as a southbound turn lane,
which is currently difficult because of space
constraints within the existing railroad right
of way. This would also prevent the need for
additional widening within the current road
cross-section, enabling the historic structures
that currently frame this intersection to
remain in or close to their current location.
The one-way pair might also signal to drivers
that they are entering a unique location.
The Town Center Design also recommends
siting roundabouts at key locations to help
mark the arrival in the core of the Town
Center. These modern versions of the
old traffic circle are carefully engineered
improvements designed to slow traffic while
keeping it moving to maintain traffic flow
and provide a safer pedestrian environment.
Two primary locations for considering traffic
circles include:
• The intersection of Church Street and
The Town Center Plan proposes several new public
parks that would be linked together by greenways.
(Photo: Town of Morrisville)