MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- By September, Marines are scheduled to occupy the new Wallace Creek complex as their new home. Because this will cause the intersection of Wallace Creek Road and Birch Street to become fairly active, a new traffic signal will be put in place to ensure traffic safety.
Barring any weather delays or unforeseen problems, the project should be completed no later than Aug. 14.
The new signals will allow motorists coming out of Wallace Creek to make a safe left turn toward Holcomb Boulevard.
The light at the intersection will stop traffic on Birch Street from both directions and will have a permitted left turn signal allowing drivers to turn from Birch Street onto Wallace Creek Road safely.
Signage and striping on the road will also be added to alleviate any confusion.
Project construction started Monday and will continue throughout the weekend.
The road will be shut down completely for no more than a few minutes at a time during a brief portion of the construction.
At some points during the construction, the traffic will be reduced to one lane at a time but sufficient signage and flagmen will be provided so motorists are clear of where to go during construction periods.
“It will be a minor inconvenience to folks going through there,” said Todd Carver, construction manager for the project with the Officer in Charge of Construction aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. “They will have to slow down a little bit but it shouldn’t be a total traffic snarl because it will allow through-traffic the whole time they’re working.”
To alleviate as many traffic delays as possible, construction will start later in the morning, around 9 a.m., and will be working around traffic patterns during rush hours.
“Once the signals go up, there will probably be a couple-week period where the lights are flashing, just to get people used to the idea that there is a signal there,” said Carver.
After the two-week period, the traffic light will become active and motorists should be prepared to stop at the Birch Street and Wallace Creek Road intersection.