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Could it be true..I-485 to finally open in two week (aka The News 14 Carolina Story I could have been on)

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We've been waiting for oh...over a year and a half now ...but there's light at the end of the I-485 Construction Tunnel! Yes, the infamous, Charlotte construction project is almost done and ready for traffic. I-485 from NC 16 to I-77/NC 115 in Huntersville might open by the end of this month!

Yes, I said that the next segment of I-485 (NC 16 to I-77/NC 115 in Huntersville) could possibly open by the end of the month.

I was so shocked I had to type it twice...just to believe it.

The contractor has a target date of opening of Halloween (October 31st) for completion of the often delayed, often bungled 5.5 miles of highway.

Of course if it decides to rain a bit over the next few weeks...that could be pushed back. (Not like we haven't seen that before.)

News Stories:
I-485 closer to completion ---News 14 Carolina (Includes video)
Another stretch of I-485 close to completion ---Charlotte Observer

Commentary:
Well, RickMastFan67 picked November 1st. So if it opens the 31st or the 1st, he'll win a prize.

All I can say it's about time, there have been so many issues with building this highway...it was hard to keep track of (amazingly the last six months went along quietly...amazingly and thankfully that is).

This is big piece of the I-485 as this now offers traffic from I-77 North of Charlotte (Statesville, Huntersville, Davidson) a quicker option and bypass to get to I-85 South (or west of Charlotte) to places like Gastonia, the Upstate of South Carolina, and Atlanta. It will make a huge local and long-distance traffic shift after it opens.

Oh, I'm visiting friends in Charlotte the weekend of November 14th...so as long as the road is open...I'll get photos of the new highway at that time.

As for the other part of the title, I received an e-mail yesterday morning from the News 14 Carolina reporter, Shannon Paluso, asking to possibly interview me about the project specifically all of the delays in construction and the funding issues that have pushed finishing the entire loop back a number of years. Unfortuanately, I didn't get to the e-mail last night...and of course I live in Raleigh...which is about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from that part of Mecklenburg County. Oh well, it's still nice to be considered for inclusion as part of the story.
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