Shallotte, NC, residents have traffic concerns with Wawa, Royal Farms

As two chain gas stations and a busy traffic light undergo construction in southern Brunswick County, nearby residents are sharing concerns.

Several residents in The Highlands community in Shallotte are worried about public safety as new businesses build and new traffic patterns await.

"We feel it wouldn't help, but actually create a very dangerous situation for everyone," Highlands homeowner Teresa Sousa said.

The town of Shallotte currently has 10 gas stations with two more on the way.

Royal Farms, a gas station and convenient store, will be located at 2811 Ocean Highway W. and is being built adjacent to Hardees along Main Street.

Grading and site work for Royal Farms is being conducted now, Shallotte Planner Brandon Eaton said. Royal Farms will have at least 12 pumps and a little over 4,700-square-feet of interior retail space.

"I believe the completion goal is summer 2025," he said.

Wawa, a Philadelphia-based convenience store chain, will be located at 2920 Frontage Road, adjacent to the Chick-fil-A. Wawa is estimated to have 16 pumps and a little over 5,900 square feet of interior retail space.

"Site work has not commenced as of yet," Eaton said. "The original estimated start date was June of 2025."

Eaton said NCDOT previously planned drainage utility updates scheduled for Frontage Road and that has somewhat affected the start date of the Wawa project.

"NCDOT is currently working with the developer on a timeline for improvements, as well as negotiating any shared responsibilities for the upgrades affecting site development," Eaton said.

In 2019, the North Carolina Department of Transportation began working on a project to construct reduced conflict intersections at two main intersections on the outskirts of Shallotte: the intersection of U.S. 17 at Main Street and Frontage Road N.W. and the intersection of U.S. 17 at Main Street and Old Shallotte Road.

Construction is to begin July 2025, according to NCDOT's website.

"The primary purpose of this project is to improve traffic flow at the intersections," per NCDOT's website.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Improvement designs were developed to reduce the number of conflict points where a crash can occur, NCDOT's website notes, and simplify how traffic moves through the intersections.

The traffic improvement at the intersection of U.S. 17 at Main Street and Frontage Road N.W. will change the traffic pattern for individuals accessing U.S. 17 from Main Street or Frontage Road.

As of today, traffic moves through the intersection by traffic light instructions. All drivers are given the chance to go straight or turn left or right.

Project plans include removing the existing traffic light at both U.S. 17 intersections.

Once the project is complete, Main Street and Frontage Road N.W. drivers will be redirected to turn right onto U.S. 17 using raised medians. To go the other direction on U.S. 17, or to cross the highway, drivers will be required to pull into a dedicated lane to make a U-turn.

The same change will be made at the intersection of U.S. 17 at Main Street and Old Shallotte Road.

The new businesses and incoming traffic change have some residents on guard about public safety risks the modifications could impose.

"Fast food and a gas station with a convenience store shouldn't be more important than the safety and wellbeing of everyone living back here," Sousa said. "It isn't just a few, but hundreds of households being affected."

Janet Todd has been a resident in The Highlands community in Shallotte since 2018. She said Frontage Road is already congested with traffic from a nearby fast food chain popular for its chicken sandwiches.

"It's just a nightmare," Todd said of traffic.

The restaurant's only entrance and exit is positioned in the curve of Frontage Road N.W. Both Todd and Sousa said vehicles leaving Chick-Fil-A are often sitting in the middle of the road, unable to move until the traffic light at U.S. 17 turns green for Frontage Road drivers.

"We can't get around," Sousa said.

Sousa and Todd fear the addition of WaWa and change of traffic pattern will do more harm than help as more people flock to the already-congested area.

"Frontage Road itself is really not in great condition," said Todd about the road condition.

There are other commercial lots for sale along Frontage Road, Todd added. She said any new businesses, including Wawa and Royal Farms, could also increase pedestrian traffic in the roads and crime in the neighborhood.

Emergency responses and evacuations are also a big concern for residents.

The residents also question if emergency responders will be negatively impacted or delayed drivers will position themselves in the middle of the road, unable to move until the light turns green and causes other cars to move forward.

Highlands resident Richard Johnson lived through two wildfires when he lived in California. As more development is added to Frontage Road, he worries about its intersection with U.S. 17 being the only way out.

"People got hurt because there was only one way in and out of their property and that's the exact same situation we have here," Johnson said.

Residents claim they have voiced concerns to both the town of Shallotte and Chick-fil-A and requested another exit off Frontage Road N.W. be constructed. However, to their knowledge, no traffic solutions or additional road plans for Frontage Road N.W. have been proposed.

Todd said she has already considered moving away from Frontage Road because of the potential increase in traffic and her concern for public safety.

"We don't oppose the development that's going on, we are concerned with the traffic flow," Sousa said.

Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her [email protected].