Please pardon the mess during renovations! The Town of Murphy is excited for the future of Downtown Murphy. There are multiple ongoing and future projects within Downtown Murphy.
Downtown Waterline Replacement
The Town of Murphy recently replaced approximately 2,800 linear feet of 100+ year old waterlines in the downtown area. Ledford and Parker, Inc. was the contractor that performed the work, with a low bid of $1,132,466. The Town completed the work this year in order to get ahead of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s milling and resurfacing work – scheduled for downtown in the summer/fall of 2024, and to enhance water quality for residents and businesses.
Milling and Repaving by NCDOT
Starting in Summer of 2024 the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be milling and repaving multiple roads within Downtown Murphy.
- Tennessee St: Joe Brown Highway Bridge to Center of Town
- Hiwassee St: US 64/74/19 to Center of Town
- Peachtree St: US 74/19 to Center of Town
- Valley River Ave: Konehete Veterans Park to Center of Town
In addition, NCDOT agreed to do the following after repaving:
- Restripe the roads through downtown thereby bringing 4 lanes of traffic down to 3 lanes (one lane in each direction with a turn lane/truck lane in the center)
- Use the extra space gained with the elimination of one lane to extend the length of on-street parking spots
- Replace the traffic signal with a one-lane roundabout
- Transform parallel parking spaces on Hiwassee St to head-in parking spaces, thereby increasing the number of public parking spaces
The benefits will include:
- Increased pedestrian safety (less lanes to cross, refuge in the center, lower speeds)
- Longer parking spaces
- Better traffic flow
- Dedicated space for delivery trucks
- More parking
Murphy Town Square Revitalization
In December 2022 the Town of Murphy was awarded a Rural Transformation Grant for the revitalization of the 4 downtown pocket parks into a town square. Improvements will begin in 2024.
The plan calls for a brick-paver design to be installed at all four pocket park corners, with downlights and other enhancement features – including a small stage. The stage will provide a venue for small concerts, films, civic events, and other activities. “We are very excited about what this means for downtown Murphy, and what it will do to make our town more inviting and pedestrian-friendly,” said Mayor Tim Radford. “It’s only going to add even more great things to an already vibrant downtown area,” Mayor Radford added.