FORT MILL, S.C. — From for sale signs on every street to construction on almost every corner, work is ramping up in Fort Mill as more families flood into the fastest growing city in the United States.
But like with anything, there are growing pains, especially on the roads. Spend any time at the interchange between Gold Hill Road and I-77 and you'll understand. If you're one of the thousands who make this drive every day, you know traffic's always backed up.
And it's driving people crazy. So we asked Wake Up Charlotte viewers to tell us what's bothering them on roads in the Charlotte area. We'd then take their concerns to city, county or state leaders and get answers.
"The morning commute on Gold Hill Road keeps getting longer and longer. Traffic always at a dead stop. It's like a sea of red lights every day. Will it ever get better???" — Brittney A. Wheeler-Finkley.
There's good news on this one. The South Carolina Department of Transportation is actually working to make big changes to one of the area's busiest intersections. Nearly 25,000 people commute on Gold Hill Road daily, using the road as a gateway to work or shopping.
"It's pretty congested," said one man.
"At 4 o'clock it backs up behind me and I have to wait 20 minutes just to get up here and get to I-77," said Steven Pringle.
York County's Pennies for Progress program, a 1-cent sales tax for road projects, and SCDOT, are on track to build a diverging diamond interchange, similar to ones seen in the Charlotte area on I-85 and I-77 in places like Cornelius and Concord. The diverging diamond would be the first of its kind in South Carolina.
Diverging diamonds are great for high-flow traffic because drivers are able to make left turns without having to cross oncoming traffic. The new interchange should allow drivers to get off and on I-77 much easier than what's there now.
There is some bad news, though. Construction was slated to start last June, but a number of setbacks put the project on hold. Crews are now set to break ground on the nearly $15 million project no later than September.
"Anything will help," said Pringle, who believes it's better late than never.
The work should be complete by 2021. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but remember, it will get better.
What's driving you crazy? Whether it's potholes, endless construction or poorly designed interchanges, we want to hear from you.