Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive Intersection

Project Background

The Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive intersection is a key connection in east Charlotte, serving both regional commuter traffic and local travel. The five-legged, skewed intersection experiences heavy congestion during peak travel times, along with frequent crashes involving left turns and U-turns. The intersection can also be difficult for people walking and biking to navigate safely. 

The area serves CATS Route 23 along Shamrock Drive and provides access to nearby destinations including Shamrock Gardens Elementary School and Garinger High School. The project will also support a future connection to Briar Creek Greenway. 

Project Goals

This is a multimodal intersection project providing additional vehicular capacity, safer pedestrian accommodations and includes bicycle facilities at Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive. 

Anticipated outcomes support the city’s Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) goals by delivering improvements that are: 

• Safe: Reduced crash risk at High Injury Network intersection 
• Connected: Improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connectivity 
• Equitable: Expanded access to schools, transit, and nearby destinations 
• Sustainable: Support for mode shift through complete street improvements 
• Prosperous: Improved intersection operations and traffic flow 
• Innovative: Redesigned geometry and technology-enabled safety upgrades 

Project Scope/Improvements

The project will improve connections for people walking and biking with new and upgraded sidewalks, bicycle facilities, crossings and pedestrian safety features. 

Improvements include: 

• 0.5 miles of bike lanes 
• 0.3 miles of shared-use path 
• 1.12 miles of sidewalk 
• Eight new and five improved crosswalks 
• Four new pedestrian refuges and improvements to three existing refuge islands 
• 20 accessible pedestrian signal and crossing-timing upgrades 

Community Engagement

The project team is engaging with the community to share project updates, gather feedback and answer questions, view the design, and learn about the city's real estate acquisition process. The following meetings have taken place or are scheduled:

• May/June 2026 - Project presentation on YouTube (watch)
• Oct. 8, 2026 at Shamrock Gardens Elementary

Vicinity Map

An aerial view of the project area in the context of surrounding thoroughfares and neighborhoods

New Traffic Pattern and Quad Road

To improve safety and traffic movement, the project will remove left turns and U-turns from the main Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive intersection and reroute them to a new quadrant road, or quad road, just south of the intersection. 

A quadrant road is a short connector road that reroutes turning traffic away from a busy intersection. Instead of making left or U-turns at the main intersection, drivers will use two smaller intersections along the quadrant road to complete those movements. This reduces conflict points and helps traffic move through the main intersection more safely and efficiently. Drivers will still be able to make right turns as usual. 

The image below illustrates how various routes through the intersection will change after the project is completed.

• The red line shows how vehicles traveling southeast on Shamrock Drive will turn right twice on the new quad road to northward on Eastway Drive toward East Sugar Creek Road.
• The yellow line shows how vehicles traveling north on Eastway Drive from Central Avenue or Kilborne Drive will turn right, then left on the new quad road and continuing northwest on Shamrock Drive toward NoDa.
• The green line shows how vehicles traveling north on Shamrock Drive from the Charlotte Museum of History will turn left on the new quad road, then left again to move southward on Eastway Drive toward Country Club Heights.
• The blue line shows how vehicles traveling south on Eastway Drive from East Sugar Creek Road will turn left on the new quad road, then right on to Shamrock Drive to continue southward toward Sharon Amity Road.

Overall Map of Project Area

This large PDF provides an aerial view of the project improvements that includes insets of how Eastway Drive, Shamrock Drive and the Quad Road will look after project completion, including travel lanes, turning lanes, bike lanes, sidewalk and planting strips. 

Notice of Accommodations - The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. If you require assistance with this map, such as a different format or at a higher resolution, please contact Project Manager Abby Preston at abby.preston@charlottenc.gov or 980-416-7652.

Join us for The Road Ahead: Eastway/Shamrock Community Meeting

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Shamrock Gardens Elementary
Find out about transportation projects planned for the community. Dinner is provided. Meeting details

Project Contact

Abby Preston, P.E.
Engineering Project Manager
Charlotte Department of Transportation
980-416-7652
abby.preston@charlottenc.gov

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