CAROLINA BEACH — A section of Canal Drive near Carolina Beach’s boardwalk will become one-way next week as the town seeks to reduce congestion and improve pedestrian safety.
READ MORE: Carolina Beach officials consider making part of Canal Drive a one-way street
On Monday, Dec. 8, the town will begin reconfiguring Canal Drive between Cape Fear Boulevard and Harper Avenue near the boardwalk to a northbound only, one-way street. The change will be enforced using new striping, signage, and physical traffic-control structures.
According to a town press release, the decision responds to rising pedestrian traffic and increased vehicular volume in the boardwalk area — conditions which have raised safety concerns. Town officials will then evaluate how the new traffic pattern performs; if it works well, further safety improvements may be rolled out before the 2026 summer season.
The one‑way conversion comes after a proposal brought before the town council in October, when officials floated turning part of Canal Drive into a one‑way street as a way to address congestion and improve safety. Until now, Canal Drive had remained two‑way under existing traffic regulations.
Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of the week of Dec. 8.
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