By Jim Buice
Enterprise Record

The Bermuda Run Town Council has been talking about a roundabout on US 158 for quite some time.
And in October’s regular monthly meeting, the board approved entering into an agreement with the NCDOT for the release of $408,000 in federal funding for the project.
“I’m sure for council this may have been a long time coming, but it’s a very deliberate process for the roundabout,” said Lee Rollins, town manager. “This is the official agreement.”
For its part, Bermuda Run is providing a 20 percent local match of $102,000, which was approved by the council in the July 2012 budget. The total estimated cost is $510,000 for the roundabout, which will be constructed at the Bermuda Run entrance across from BB&T Soccer Park.
Rollins said he met with town attorney Brian Williams and John Gray of John Gray Engineering to review the agreement and felt comfortable that everything was in order to proceed.
“One of the larger issues that you deal with in a project like this is any acquisition of additional right-of-way,” Rollins said. “Because of that preliminary engineering, we feel very confident that we don’t need that, that we have sufficient right of way to do this project.”
Nearly a year ago, the council passed a resolution supporting the transfer of funds previously allocated for the U.S. 158/N.C. 801 intersection improvement project to the roundabout. The Winston-Salem Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved the shift in funds in March.
The council has long expressed concerns about safety because of the busy stretch of highway at the Bermuda Run Drive/Twins Way Drive intersection as vehicles cross the bridge over the Yadkin River.
Rollins said that he has been informed that the roundabout is on the agenda for the NCDOT board meeting in November.
“When that approval has taken place, we will meet with NCDOT staff in the Winston-Salem office to review project scope and also have them review our request for qualifications package to go out to engineering firms,” Rollins said. “If the weather holds out like last year, it is possible we may be able to begin around the first of the year. “

In other business in the Oct. 9 meeting, Mayor Ken Rethmeier said that Oct. 23 will be a busy day in Bermuda Run with a morning breakfast involving up to 75 local businesses to provide an update on the recently approved comprehensive plan, show the new …