Raleigh council redirects 6 Forks Road funds to safety projects, multi‑modal bridge and wetlanded priorities

Raleigh City Council voted to move away from the original 6 Forks Road corridor widening after staff said market forces pushed the project far above earlier estimates and threatened the city’s ability to deliver the project as envisioned.

The council adopted staff’s recommendation to perform a scaled set of improvements — filling sidewalk gaps, adding signalized pedestrian crossings and intersection safety upgrades — and to reallocate residual local funds toward nearby projects, with priority given to a multimodal bridge design and completing two roadway projects already under construction.

Why it matters: The 6 Forks Road corridor was designed as a six‑lane, median‑divided boulevard with separated bike and pedestrian facilities. Staff told council that the original project scope and right‑of‑way needs, combined with sharp increases in land and utility relocation costs, made the project infeasible at the previously approved scale. Federal funding awarded to the project is contingent on improving travel times; that creates an additional constraint if the city changes scope.

Key facts reported by staff
- The corridor plan was adopted in 2018 and rescoping work began in 2023–2024 as cost estimates and market conditions changed.
- Staff said prior scope escalated toward about $119 million; a more recent cost estimate for the current scope rose to roughly $93.5 million (a ~67% increase over earlier estimates).
- Funding committed so far totals approximately $60.1 million (bonds plus later additions), and expenditures to date are about $9.3 million, of which roughly $4.3 million was for land acquisition.
- Staff offered two near‑term options: (1) treat the effort as a corridor of spot safety and infrastructure improvements — estimated additional cost about $7 million — producing a package of continuous sidewalks, Millbrook intersection improvements and several high‑visibility pedestrian crossings (total project expenditures approaching $16–17 million once combined with prior spending); or (2) cancel the remainder of the corridor project and limit the city’s sunk cost to the $9.3 million already spent.

Council direction and next steps
Council approved the staff recommendation to pursue the targeted safety and connectivity improvements and to prioritize remaining funds for a set of projects staff listed: first the multimodal bridge design, then funding to complete the Lake Wheeler and Barwell Road projects as originally planned, and finally Old Wake Forest/Dixie Forest if funding remains. Staff will return with implementation steps and budget adjustments.

Context and caveats
- Staff cautioned that any decision that removes road‑widening elements may make the project ineligible for some federal funds from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO); those funds were awarded on the basis that the project would improve travel times.
- Council members repeatedly emphasized the need to better align public engagement and project schedules to avoid long design periods that can increase costs and uncertainty.

Speakers (meeting attributions)
- Kenneth Ritchie, Director, Transportation (presenter)
- Councilor Lambert (spoke in favor of safety-first reallocations)
- Councilor Silver (asked about state ownership and paving schedules)
- Councilor Patton (asked about project history and funding alternatives)
- Mayor Pro Tem Ford (questions about finding additional funding)

Authorities
- 2018 6 Forks Road Corridor Plan (adopted local plan) — referenced by staff as the original project scope
- Funding references: 2013 & 2017 bond funds; FY23 capital additions; Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization federal funds allocation

Actions (formal)
- Action: Approve staff recommendation to pause full corridor widening and fund targeted safety/connectivity work; reallocate residual funds to prioritized projects (multimodal bridge design, Lake Wheeler, Barwell, Old Wake Forest).
- Mover: not specified in meeting transcript
- Second: not specified in meeting transcript
- Outcome: approved (council vote recorded as aye)
- Notes: Staff warned that federal funding tied to travel‑time improvements could need to be returned if the project scope removes roadway improvements.

Clarifying details
- Estimated current scope cost (staff): ~ $93.5 million (escalated from earlier budgets).
- Expenditures to date: ~$9.3 million (including ~$4.3 million in property acquisitions).
- Spot safety alternative estimated incremental cost: ~ $7 million; raises total committed/anticipated spending to ~$16–17 million including prior work.

Searchable tags: 6 Forks Road, corridor, transportation, capital projects, CAMPO, multimodal bridge, sidewalks

Ending
Councilors said they wanted to keep funds local to deliver the promised improvements in Midtown while preserving the city’s ability to secure federal competitive funding for other projects. Staff will return with detailed design and financing plans aligned to the council priorities and the federal funding constraints.