Chapel Hill drivers will want to pay attention to this one-way traffic change starting Monday

Drivers heading to and from the Chapel Hill library, University Place and other destinations will want to pay attention to a traffic change starting Monday, Jan. 30, on Estes Drive.

The one-way detour on the cross-town cut-though will be extended and will start at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. instead of Somerset Drive, the town announced on its website.

“The delay has been put off as long as possible, but will be necessary to begin work on the south side of the road,” the town stated. “The detour will be in place for the majority of the remaining construction, as work continues on the south side of the road, and will primarily affect access to Somerset Drive, Amity Church and Childcare Matters.

The Estes Drive Connectivity Project will, among other improvements, raise bike lanes from MLK Jr. Boulevard to Caswell Road, add sidewalk on the south side and a 10-foot multi-use path on the north side, according to the town.

The project also includes intersection improvements at MLK Jr. Boulevard and bike lanes extending onto Estes Extension. There will be enhanced crossing opportunities along the length of the project, including rectangular rapid flashing beacons like those on the boulevard and Franklin Street.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Chapel Hill drivers will want to pay attention to this one-way traffic change starting Monday."