Construction on Hillsborough Street, which has been in progress since May 2009, has seen some improvement with much of the equipment gone from the areas closest to campus.
According to the City of Raleigh, Sept. will constitute the completion of phase one of the Hillsborough construction project. The street will undergo three more phases of construction, each set to accomplish something different for the area.
While phase one has been bothersome, most students believe it worthwhile. The purpose of phase one was to solve safety concerns and help improve the economy along Hillsborough Street.
Raven Duncan, a freshman in art and design, said, “The construction is annoying, like really annoying, but you kind of just get used to it.”
Sonni Wilson, a sophomore in arts applications, said she tries not to pay attention to the construction and avoid Hillsborough Street. Many students have other reasons to go to the street, such as finding food, entertainment, or shopping.
“I try to stay oblivious to the construction,” Wilson said. “It seems to be never-ending and I don’t really understand what the overall goal is. It’s really inconvenient because we aren’t able to go to the restaurants we really liked over there, mainly because of bad parking.”
This week, construction crews are re-laying the bricks on the side of the street opposite campus.
Katie Poole, an employee at The Alley, said things were starting to get better along Hillsborough.
“There is definitely going to be a noticeable improvement,” she said. “We are already getting comments and hearing compliments about how much better it all looks.”
Throughout phase one of the Hillsborough Street Renovation Project, the construction has been a common conversation topic throughout Raleigh and especially on N.C. State’s campus. Much of the talk has been about how difficult it was to reach the businesses located there.
“We are already seeing an improvement [in our business],” Poole said. ”We intend to continue to see an improvement. Hopefully, once construction is done, people will come from downtown and access will be easier.”
Other students find the method of construction to be irritating and believe it does not make sense. Because of this, they do not believe the first phase of construction will ever really be over.
“I don’t think they’re almost done, especially when something new always seems to come up,” Duncan said. “They are always hacking up the road, so all the way down Hillsborough Street it’s bumpy. The only smooth part right now is the circle.”
The roundabout at the intersection of Hillsborough Street and Pullen Road seems to have been accepted. The fences surrounding the circle make it difficult on foot, but is an improvement for vehicular traffic.
“The traffic circle has made the intersection easier [to navigate],” Duncan said. “We don’t have to wait all day or a light to change and so far I haven’t heard anyone complaining about it.”
