ARCHDALE – A study that will guide development along N.C. 62 is on track to be considered by the Archdale City Council next month.

Jeff Wells, Archdale’s planning and zoning director, said the High Point Transportation Advisory Committee this week approved a resolution in support of the N.C. 62 Corridor Access Management Plan, which will examine how to take advantage of anticipated development along Archdale’s proposed N.C. 62 corridor near Interstate 85 and the Interstate 74/U.S. 311 Bypass. Wells said it was key to get “regional support” from the High Point TAC, which is a committee made up of area elected officials, including High Point Mayor Becky Smothers.

Archdale’s Planning and Zoning Board is set to consider the plan at Archdale City Hall at 7 p.m. Monday. If the study is adopted by the planning board, the City Council will consider it Feb. 23.

City officials decided to embark on the study in July because they say the current configuration of N.C. 62 is not expected to handle the anticipated growth in the area. The plan determines a proper design for N.C. 62, as well as connecting streets within the area for the future, according to city officials.

“There’s a lot of ‘for sale’ signs out there now, so this indicated that we were under the brink of having a potential development boom out there until the economic downturn,” Wells said. “We found out it was a good time to do a plan out there for the corridor to ensure that in the future we have a proper access and connector street plan to make sure that the corridor and its connector street system operates effectively into the future.”

Once the study is approved by the council, Archdale hopes to obtain funding for a feasibility study for the relocation of Weant Road, which intersects with N.C. 62, Wells said, adding the road’s location “is way too close to the interchange at I-85.”

“The ramps that are already signalized there at 62 and I-85, it’s within 300 feet of the interchange,” he said. “We really need to have that located further east for the corridor to function more effectively because right now, you are seeing the most delays on the morning commute when people are going northbound on Weant Road and wanting to turn left on 62, either to get to Interstate 85 or going north to High Point. There are a lot of delays there.”

The study, which came at a price tag of about $65,000, is being funded by the N.C. Department of Transportation and the High Point Metropolitan Planning Organization.

dignasiak@hpe.com | 888-3657