Next phase of American Tobacco waterline replacement starts in Durham on Monday, Sept. 15

Down Ballot Staff Reports

As the American Tobacco Waterline Replacement Project Phase 2 begins September 15, the City of Durham appreciates your patience with the work associated with this project. This is the first weekly construction update for the project, which includes a two-week preview of the project's construction activities.

Project Summary

American Tobacco Waterline Replacement Project Phase 2 is the final phase of a multi-year project in the American Tobacco Campus area. Phase 2 Project Map This project is anticipated to take 18 months to complete; it will begin in September 2025 and continue until spring 2027. The City has contracted Teraflex Group LLC to perform the work, which includes

• Replacing 11,500 feet of existing 1930s era waterlines
• Upgrading and reconnecting existing water services in the project area
• Installing 5,000 feet of 36-inch transmission main
• Rehabilitating or replacing existing sanitary sewer lines in the project area
• Providing pavement repairs in the construction areas

Planned Road / Lane Closures will occur as follows:

• Week of 9/15: 
• Southbound lane closure in Willard St between Yancey St and Blackwell St 
• Lane shifts in Chapel Hill St between Willard St and Pettigrew St
• Construction Map and Detour Route Information for 9/15-9/19
• Week of 9/22: 
• Southbound lane closure in Willard St between Yancey St and Blackwell St
• Eastbound lane closure in Pettigrew St between Chapel Hill St and Blackwell St
• Lane shifts in Chapel Hill St between Willard St and Pettigrew St
• Construction map and detour route information for 9/22-26

Saturday and Sunday – September 13-14, 2025:

• No work is planned.

Week of September 15-19, 2025

• Willard Street between Yancey Street and Blackwell Street will have a southbound lane closure to accommodate waterline installation. 
• Traffic control signs and markings will be used for the lane closure. 
• Southbound traffic will be detoured via Jackson, Vickers, and Morehead.
• Noise levels in excess of the current City noise ordinance are anticipated during work hours.
• Planned work hours are 7 AM to 7 PM.
• No water or sewer service disruptions are anticipated.
• Chapel Hill Street between Willard Street and Pettigrew Street will have lane shifts to accommodate waterline installation. 
• Traffic control signs and markings will be used for the lane shift. Traffic will be maintained in both directions.
• Noise levels in excess of the current City noise ordinance are anticipated during work hours.
• Planned work hours are 7 AM to 7 PM.
• No water or sewer service disruptions are anticipated.

Saturday and Sunday – September 20-21, 2025:

• No work is planned.

Week of September 22-26, 2025

• Willard Street between Yancey Street and Blackwell Street will have a southbound lane closure to accommodate waterline installation. 
• Traffic control signs and markings will be used for the lane closure. 
• Southbound traffic will be detours via Jackson, Vickers, and Morehead.
• Noise levels in excess of the current City noise ordinance are anticipated during work hours.
• Planned work hours are 7 AM to 7 PM.
• No water or sewer service disruptions are anticipated.
• Pettigrew Street between Chapel Hill Street and Blackwell Street will have a eastbound lane closure to accommodate waterline installation.
• Traffic control signs and markings will be used for the lane closure. 
• Eastbound traffic will be detoured via Ramseur and Corcoran/Blackwell streets.
• Noise levels in excess of the current City noise ordinance are anticipated during work hours.
• Planned work hours are 7 AM to 7 PM.
• No water or sewer service disruptions are anticipated.
• Chapel Hill Street between Willard Street and Pettigrew Street will have lane shifts to accommodate waterline installation. 
• Traffic control signs and markings will be used for the lane shift. Traffic will be maintained in both directions.
• Noise levels in excess of the current City noise ordinance are anticipated during work hours.
• Planned work hours are 7 AM to 7 PM.
• No water or sewer service disruptions are anticipated.

Local governments in the Carolinas to meet on Monday, Sept. 15

Spartanburg County Council will hold its next regular meeting Monday, Sept. 15 at 5:15 pm.

One item in the public hearing portion of Monday's meeting is to consider an agreement to develop a joint business park with neighboring Cherokee County, where the park would be located.

Under the section for old business in Monday's tentative agenda is an item for a third reading to amend the agreement for the development of the joint industrial park to include additional land in Spartanburg County.

There will also be a closed session at 4 pm.

Other local governments in the Carolinas meeting Monday:

Albemarle City Council will meet Monday at 6:30 pm.

Haywood County Board of County Commissioners will meet Monday at 5:30 pm.

Brunswick County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday at 6 pm.

N.C.'s environmental regulators issues modified air quality permit for Guilford County business

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued Carpenter Co., an expanded polystyrene manufacturer in High Point, Guilford County, a first-time Title V air quality permit.

Carpenter Co. previously held a synthetic minor air quality permit from DAQ that capped its emissions below major-source thresholds of 100 tons per year. This permit modification allows Carpenter Co. to emit pentane, a volatile organic compound (VOC), at major-source levels.

The facility remains classified as a minor source of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and is subject to federal rules for area sources of HAPs for its adhesive coating operations.  The facility demonstrated that its emissions of toxic air pollutants will be below respective permitting rates.

The final Title V permit includes conditions that ensure ambient levels of all pollutants emitted by the facility comply with emission standards, including applicable health-based standards, beyond the facility’s fence line. The facility would also be subject to recordkeeping and reporting requirements and regular inspections.

After soliciting public comments on a draft of the air quality permit, DAQ made technical corrections to the final permit and added a production limit to ensure compliance with the proposed prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) facility-wide limit.

Copies of the final permit, final permit review, permit application, and a one-page project fact sheet are available online.