DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — As a Duke graduate student who walks down Morreene Road to get to campus nearly every day, Mehul Narula said it’s not always an easy trek.

“I feel a tad bit unsafe when I’m going with these fast cars, so a bike lane or a walking lane would be very helpful for me,” he said.

And pretty soon, improvements for pedestrians and cyclists are headed to that same street.

A project costing over $10 million will add bike lanes and extra sidewalks on both sides of Morreene Road from Neal to Erwin Road.

“It should have been here a long time ago, and it’s very nice if it’s coming now because I guess it’s very unsafe,” Duke graduate student Sahib Dua said.

The city tells CBS 17 that construction is expected to start in the fall of next year.

Another project on the other side of town adds over 2,000 feet of sidewalk along the west side of South Alston Avenue from Capps Street to Riddle Road.

“I need them because it keeps me from walking close to cars,” a resident on South Alston said. “That’s most important because people are kind of careless when they’re driving today.”

According to the city, the Alston Avenue sidewalk project that’s currently under construction is nearing completion.

For some of those who live in these areas, completion can’t come soon enough.

“[It will] increase my confidence in going and coming back easily, so that would be a really good move,” Narula said.

At its next meeting, the City Council will vote to add additional federal funds for the two projects after cost escalations.