City sets speed limit for new Rupple Road extension

A car travels along the newly completed extension of Rupple Road in west Fayetteville.

Courtesy City of Fayetteville

Fayetteville officials have set the speed limit on the new Rupple Road extension at 35 miles per hour, and are warning residents to be on the lookout for wildlife in the area.

The recently opened 1.5-mile extension of Rupple stretches south from Persimmon Street near Owl Creek School to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard west of Walmart and Lowe’s.

The area has for years been quiet pastureland where deer and other animals are used to traveling freely, officials said, so drivers should use caution when using the new roadway.

Deer crossing signs have been installed to remind drivers of the potential for wildlife, according to a news release.

The $7.3 million project is being funded using transportation bonds approved by voters in 2006. It includes a landscaped median with roundabouts at three intersections, a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the road, and a 12-foot trail on the west side.

The state highway department recently approved plans for a traffic signal at Rupple and MLK, which is scheduled to be installed in January 2017.

The existing roadway on Rupple from Persimmon to Wedington Drive is also being widened to four lanes, along with a short stretch on the north side of Wedington to Congressional Street.