Skip to main content

Could I-485 Construction be pushed back to 2015?

If the state's Draft Strategic Transportation Improvement Program for 2009-2015 stays the same, it will.

It is entirely possible that the construction to complete the I-485 loop around Charlotte will not start until 2015, meaning that the loop may not be finished until 2018.

More importantly, the desperately needed widening of I-485 from I-77 to US 521 in Southern Mecklenburg County would also be delayed until 2015, if no changes are made from the draft to the final version.

The official verbiage is "To assist in balancing funds, construction of Segment 'E' delayed from FY 13 to FY 15." Segment 'E' is the missing link from I-77 in Huntersville to I-85 near Concord. The same "to assist in balancing funds" is used in delaying the widening of I-485 in Southern Mecklenburg County from 2013 to 2015.

I would not be surprised that there will be a large uproar from Charlotte, Mecklenburg and regional officials over this delay. The widening has been pushed strongly by transportation advocates in the region for the past few years. Also, communities in the northern part of the county will also be pushing strongly for the completion of the loop between Huntersville and Concord. concord and University officials see the missing link as an opportunity for growth for their communities.

In the past, the two projects (widening and building the missing link) have been at odds for tight highway dollars. With both projects pushed back even further, will both sides work together towards the best solution or will they step over each other wanting the money and perhaps pushing completion and traffic improvements within the loop back even further?

Division Ten Draft 2009-2015 STIP ---NCDOT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e