The projects involved spending more than $25 million in local tax dollars to improve infrastructure that's technically the responsibility of the state, said Tim Bailey, the town's engineering director.

The three projects included the conversion of Tryon Road between Kildaire Farm Road and Piney Plains Road from a two-lane rural road to a four-lane, median-divided urban street.

The project, begun in 2006 and totaling $8.9 million, included widening outer lanes to ensure the safety of cyclists, installation of curb and gutter, sidewalks and drainage structure, and inclusion of a median. With the completion of this section of Tryon Road, all sections of the road within Cary's corporate limits have been widened to at least four lanes.

The town also widened Evans Road between Northwest Maynard Road and Thorpe Drive to five lanes, beginning in spring 2007. The improved segment, which cost $6.3 million, includes wider outside lanes and sidewalks on both sides. There are also pedestrian signals and raised pedestrian crossing islands at Evans Road and Dynasty Drive.

Finally, the town widened Southwest Maynard Road, creating a four-lane loop of Cary by widening Maynard from Kildaire Farm Road to West Chatham Street. Begun in the spring of 2007, the $11.6 million road project involved installation of curb and gutter, sidewalks, crossing signals, drainage structures and a new traffic signal at Kilmayne Drive.

The project also rehabilitated about 2,000 feet of an unnamed protected tributary to Swift Creek.

To see a virtual ribbon-cutting go to www.townofcary.org.

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