Plans are in the works to make Cook Road an official part of University Drive and to expand it to four lanes.

The state ordered that a north-south corridor be built within the Alamance County limits.

Traffic consultants are in the process of making traffic projections, to determine when the road will be most needed.

“What we’re dealing with,” said Elon Town Manager Mike Dula, “is the timing of building the road to address traffic needs.”

The new road will stretch from Interstate 85 to Glen Raven. The area from I-85 to Cook Road has already been completed, as has the area from Haggard Avenue to the Glen Raven area, leaving Cook Road an uncompleted stretch in the middle.

Upon completion, Cook Road will be a four-lane residential street with a grass median.

Dula said that although this is a two-lane road, it was built on a four-lane “rideaway,” meaning it has the capacity to be a four-lane highway.

Citizens have raised concerns about the expansion of Cook Road after the construction of Beth Schmidt Park so close to the road.

“As an Elon resident, I think it is unfortunate that the town selected this location for the park when its leaders knew about the four-lane of communications. “I believe parks should be peaceful places located in safer areas of a town or county.”

Dula said that the town is aware of these concerns, but assured community members that this part of the road will have a bike lane and a “vegetative buffer” to separate it from the highway, and the speed limit will be 45 mph.

The money for the project comes from the state, but building the needed bridges is expensive and Dula suspects that this may be one reason for the delay in construction.

Though the original projected date for beginning construction was 2007, Dula said it would be finished by 2012.

The proposed road, which is a loop around the urban area of the city, will facilitate through traffic without taking drivers through congested areas, Dula said.

“It’s not unusual for it to be a 20-year process from the time it’s decided that a road is needed to the time it’s built,” he said.

News Editor: Kaitlin Ugolik - 10/31/07