Two Washington businessmen with businesses in the proposed 15^th Street project corridor fear the project could hurt those businesses and others if built as proposed.

During its meeting Monday, Washington’s City Council heard Richard Gerard and Pat Griffin say the project would impede traffic flow at businesses along the project corridor — U.S. Highway 17 Business to U.S. Highway 264 near Vidant Beaufort Hospital. The proposed traffic islands at the eastern end of the project would result in a “hardship” on some businesses in that area, Gerard said, adding the proposed lanes configuration would “isolate” those businesses from potential customer traffic.

Griffin said the proposed medians and left-turn-only lanes would create similar problems for businesses on the western end of the proposed project. Griffin said he prefers middle-turn lanes instead of medians. Griffin said the project, as proposed, would make it more difficult for potential customers to access some businesses along the project corridor.

Two weeks ago, the North Carolina Department of Transportation conducted an informational meeting about the project, which calls for converting the existing multi-lane road into a four-lane, raised median divided road. The project is designed to improve overall traffic flow and traffic safety. Preliminary project designs are on the project website —

http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings — for public review and comment. The project also includes median breaks for left turns as traffic volumes warrant. U-turn locations will be provided at several locations.

Last summer, John Rouse, a DOT engineer, told the Washington City Council the project had been approved with a $16.2 million budget, with construction to start in 2023. A DOT document dated Nov. 9, 2015, and modified Jan. 6 indicates construction has been moved up to 2019.

DOT spokesmen said the project’s goal is to reduce the number of vehicles crashes on 15^th Street. Those crashes on that section of road occur about three times more frequently than crashes on similar roads in other areas of the state, according to DOT figures.

Griffin and Gerard believe a modified project that addresses their concerns can achieve the project’s goal to make that section of 15^th Street safer.