Sign Error may delay I-485's opening in Charlotte

Hard to belive that I have yet to do any commentary on my second home of North Carolina and their transport issues until today.

From today's Charlotte Observer:

The opening of a little over two miles of I-485 in Northwest Mecklenburg County may be delayed because the steel structures that support overhead signs have yet to be constructed. The structures, which the overall design was approved by the state in May, are now being delayed by the steel fabricator who wants an additional $86,000 on top of the $242,000 budgetted by the state for them.

The delay could last anywhere from two weeks to three months, and no solution has been determined.

Commentary:

It looks like a game of "Not My Fault/Not My Job" is going on between NCDOT and McWhirther Grading. John Parker, who is the NCDOT engineer overseeing the I-485 project, claims that the state approved the designs in May, and the DOT did their part. Ken Stayley with McWhirther says that the state did not provide the specs for constructing the structures. Parker says it wasn't the state's responsibility.

So will someone please own up to what was wrong, come to a solution and move forward?!?! Better yet just say ok there was an error somewhere lets stop pointing fingers and fix it?!?!?! The comments by readers of this article in the Charlotte Observer were very hostile and cynical.

Also, throw in the fabricator for wanting another $86,000 (on top of $242,000) to create the structures. Parker doesn't feel it is the state's responsibility to pay the extra money. Nor does he think taxpayer money should go to it.

Well a lot of "not my faults" from the NCDOT, the contractor, and an un-named fabricator wanting more money. Residents say they don't need signs for two miles of road, they can figure it out on their own.

Stay tuned....

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