I-85 to get a makeover

Finally, a section of I-85 with pavement that's nearly fifty years old is going to get a new coat of asphalt later this year, according to this story from WRAL.

The 25 mile I-85 corridor that runs from the Vance/Granville line to the North Carolina/Virginia border has received no money for a major pavement overhaul since it was built. The DOT says the mostly rural section of highway never made it to the top of a priority list.

Help is on the way, however.

Planners just put together a $40 million spending plan. Of that, $30 million will pay for a complete pavement replacement for five miles near Henderson, and the remaining 20 miles to the border will get a new top layer that should give about 10 years of smoother sailing.

NCDOT engineers say they could start the repairs as soon as October. The work will take at least two years.

This section of I-85 has been at or near the top of every "worst roads in the area" list for at least ten years, so it's about time it was fixed. Nothing like welcoming people to North Carolina by destroying their shocks...

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