An $84 Million Railroad Project Could Reshape NE Maynard Road
The railroad crossing at NE Maynard Road could eventually disappear.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is moving forward with a plan to take NE Maynard Road underneath the railroad tracks near East Chatham Street. Right now, cars and trains cross at the same level. Under the plan, the road would pass below the tracks, and the crossing as it exists today would be gone.
For reference, this project would be in-between Chatham Square Shopping Center and WakeMed Soccer Park.
NCDOT says separating the road from the railroad would eliminate the conflicts between the two and make the crossing safer. Earlier this year, an Amtrak train struck a construction trailer that had become detached from a truck at this crossing. Six passengers were treated for minor injuries, and Maynard Road was closed for more than seven hours.
It is not a small project. The current estimate is about $83.8 million: roughly $37.3 million to acquire property, and $46.5 million for construction and utilities.
The harder question is what happens to the businesses nearby. NCDOT is still working out exactly how much property the project needs. The estimate of around a dozen affected businesses dates to 2018, and the agency says the number could end up higher, since more businesses have opened in the area since then. It also says it is too early for a final list of which ones would have to move.
Some of those owners are already speaking up. Cooper’s Furniture has been in its location since 1949, according to owner Alex White, who told CBS17 he only learned the project was moving forward again about a week before the public meeting, by postcard. The Sea Depot, a family business on East Chatham Street, has been there for nearly 20 years. Li-Chun Young, whose family runs it, told WRAL they understand Cary is growing and that the infrastructure has to grow with it, while raising the question of how that growth happens around the businesses in its path. Another owner, Chris Spinks, told WRAL he left the public meeting more confused than when he arrived.
The timeline is long. Property acquisition is expected to begin in summer 2027, and construction is tentatively scheduled for summer 2030. The News & Observer reported the intersection would be closed for more than two years during construction. Both dates could move as the design comes together.
NCDOT is taking public comments on the project through Oct. 27. If you own one of those businesses, live nearby or drive Maynard regularly, this is the window to weigh in.
View the project maps and submit comments: NCDOT public meeting page