A new traffic signal is planned for Morganton Road at Northview Drive to help ease congestion and improve safety during the morning and afternoon commutes.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is overseeing the project, which will include metal poles with mast arms to support the new signals, as well as marked crosswalks and pedestrian signals.

Before the signal can be installed, the department must permanently remove Dundee Road’s access to Morganton Road, because its caddy-corner intersection is too close to Northview Drive for the new signal to function properly. 

As part of this change, one end of Dundee Road will be converted into a cul-de-sac, allowing drivers to turn around and reach Morganton Road at another nearby intersection.

This work is scheduled to begin Oct. 12, when a combination of state and contract crews will permanently close Dundee Road’s access to Morganton Road. Construction of the cul-de-sac and replacement of the adjacent sidewalk will take about two weeks.

The Division has received the metal mast poles for the new signal and is finalizing the foundation design for them. They are expected to be installed later this fall.

An average of 25,000 vehicles a day travel on this section of Morganton Road, based on data last collected in 2024. Northview Drive, a municipal street, is a popular access point to Morganton Road for the Van Story Hills subdivision and its elementary school.

The project will add a left-turn signal for westbound drivers on Morganton Road turning onto Northview Drive. Most of the time, the left-turn arrow will flash yellow, meaning drivers must yield and turn only when there is a safe gap in oncoming traffic. At other times, the arrow will turn solid green, giving left-turning drivers the right of way.