Thank you for participating in the Eastway-Shamrock Intersection Improvement Project online public presentation.
This presentation should last about 10 minutes.
If you require assistance with this presentation or have any questions or comments, please contact Project Manager Abby Preston. Her contact information is listed at the end of this presentation and on the project webpage.
During today’s presentation, we will provide a project overview and share proposed improvements and project timeline. We will also discuss how the changes may affect your current route through the intersection.
Finally, we will conclude with next steps and provide contact information for any follow-up questions
This project focuses on improving a unique and challenging intersection where Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive meet.
Today, this five-legged, skewed intersection experiences frequent left-turn and U-turn crashes, along with heavy traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. These turning movements create multiple conflict points, which can be confusing for drivers and increase the risk for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The primary goal of this project is to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, and create better access for all users—whether you’re driving, walking, biking, or taking the bus.
To address these issues, we are reducing conflict points by removing left turns and U-turns from the main intersection.
Instead, those movements will be rerouted to a new road, called a quadrant road, located just south of the intersection. You will hear the new road called the “Quadrant” road in this presentation, but it will be given an official name later. This road will connect to both Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive with two new traffic signals.
By moving left turns out of the main intersection:
- We reduce the number of conflict points, improving safety;
- We make the intersection simpler and more intuitive to navigate; and
- We help traffic flow more smoothly, reducing delays and congestion
In addition to improving traffic operations, the project also enhances multimodal access:
- New sidewalks and a shared-use path will be added along Eastway Drive and the quadrant road
- Crosswalks will beupgraded throughout the project area and added at the new quadrant road intersections
- Shamrock Drive will include buffered bike lanes, improved sidewalks, and planting strips, connecting to the future Shamrock Drive Complete Streets project near Flamingo Avenue
Together, these improvements will create a safer, more connected corridor for everyone.
Today’s presentation will walk through the updated design using illustrations from key points throughout the project area to help you visualize how these changes will work.
This slide shows how vehicles will move through the new three-intersection network. These intersections are:
- The existing intersection at Shamrock Drive and Eastway Drive;
- Shamrock Drive and new “Quadrant” Road; and
- Eastway Drive and new “Quadrant” Road
The colored arrows show the routes drivers will use to get through the area. Instead of making left turns at busy intersections, drivers will follow a series of right and left turns using the new “Quadrant” Road. This design reduces conflicts between vehicles and helps traffic flow more smoothly.
All left turn vehicle movements at the Shamrock Drive and Eastway Drive intersection will be prohibited. Drivers will still be able to make right turns as usual.
Here’s how the routes work:
On the red route, drivers traveling southeast on Shamrock Drive from the Plaza-Shamrock neighborhood will go straight through Eastway Drive, turn right onto the new “Quadrant” Road, then turn right again onto Eastway Drive to head north toward East Sugar Creek Road. Please note that Frontenac Avenue will be right-in, right-out only (with the exception of emergency vehicles).
On the yellow route, drivers traveling north on Eastway Drive from Central Avenue will turn right onto the new “Quadrant” Road, then turn left onto Shamrock Drive to continue northwest toward NoDa.
On the green route, drivers traveling north on Shamrock Drive from the Charlotte Museum of History will turn left onto the new “Quadrant” Road, then turn left again onto Eastway Drive to head south toward Country Club Heights.
Lastly, on the blue route, drivers traveling south on Eastway Drive from Sugar Creek will go straight through Shamrock Drive, turn left onto the new “Quadrant” Road, and then turn right onto Shamrock Drive to continue southeast toward Sharon Amity Road.
Together, these planned movements allow traffic to flow safely and efficiently through the area while minimizing delays and potential crashes.
We will pause for a few moments here to allow time to get familiar with the various paths.
This slide illustrates the proposed typical section for Eastway Drive. The design includes four travel lanes, separated by a variable width concrete median. On each side of the roadway, the section provides either a planting strip paired with a shared-use path, or a shared-use path located at the back of the curb. The shared-use path provides space for both walking and biking.
This slide illustrates the proposed typical section for Shamrock Drive. The design includes two travel lanes and buffered bike lanes in both directions. Cyclists will be able to go through the intersection on Eastway-Shamrock or go around on the shared-use path on the “Quadrant” Road. This will connect to another new buffered bike lane on Shamrock Drive near Flamingo Avenue. Beyond the curb, the design provides sidewalks on each side, creating a more comfortable and buffered space for pedestrians. In some areas where space is especially constrained, the sidewalk will be next to the curb without a planting strip.
This slide illustrates the proposed typical section for “Quadrant” Road, to be given an official street name in the near future. The section consists of a three-lane roadway, with the two outer lanes serving as turn lanes at each new signalized intersection. On the south side of the road, a shared-use path will be directly behind the curb, accommodating both pedestrians and bicyclists.
Preliminary plans were recently completed, and the project team is working towards finalizing Right-of-Way plans. We anticipate completing the plan submittal and starting real estate acquisitions this summer, including the purchase of temporary construction easements.
Following the real estate phase, utility relocation will begin next summer in 2027. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2029 and conclude between December 2030 and December 2031.
Any specific questions related to the proposed design schedule can be directed to the project manager listed on the next slide.
If you would like to provide comments on the design presented, have additional questions, or need assistance with this presentation, please contact Abby Preston, Engineering Project Manager with City of Charlotte at 980-416-7652 or abby.preston@charlottenc.gov.
To learn more about this project, please visit the project webpage at charlottenc.gov/eastwayshamrock.
We appreciate your interest in the project and look forward to your comments.
This concludes the presentation. Thank you for your time.