Holly Springs Seeks Public Input on Avent Ferry Road Safety, Widening Project
The proposed project would widen Avent Ferry Road to four lanes, add sidewalks, new school crosswalks and a traffic signal, with construction expected to begin in 2029.
Holly Springs, NC, June. 25, 2026 — Plans to widen Avent Ferry Road, improve school crossings and add a new traffic signal are moving forward, and Holly Springs residents have an opportunity this week to help shape the project’s final design.
The Town will host an Early Design Public Meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. tonight (6/25), at Holly Grove Middle School, 1401 Avent Ferry Road, where residents can review preliminary design maps, meet with Town staff and project consultants, ask questions and provide feedback. For those unable to attend, an online feedback option will be available after the meeting.
The proposed improvements target a busy corridor serving Holly Grove Elementary and Holly Grove Middle schools that has experienced increasing traffic as development has expanded in western Holly Springs.
Preliminary plans include widening Avent Ferry Road to four lanes with a raised median from Ralph Stephens Road to Holly Meadow Drive, adding sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, installing new signalized crosswalks near the schools, adding a traffic signal at the Holly Grove school entrance and converting the Autumn Park neighborhood exit to right-turn-out only. NCDOT says the restricted movement is intended to improve safety and traffic flow on the widened state roadway.
Holly Springs is managing the project on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, overseeing design, right-of-way acquisition and construction while NCDOT provides funding, design approvals and regulatory oversight. Town officials say the arrangement helps accelerate the project’s delivery.
The project remains in the design phase. Right-of-way acquisition is expected to begin in 2027, with construction anticipated to start in 2029.
The Holly Springs Town Council approved the project’s $1.2 million design contract with Exalt Engineering in September of 2025. The contract, funded through NCDOT as part of a project budget of up to $20.2 million, includes multiple public meetings and outreach to homeowners associations, nearby schools and emergency services as the design continues to be refined.