CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Public officials say they want to redesign a busy interstate interchange in west Charlotte calling it "the most problematic" of any such interchange in all of North Carolina.
“What you see behind you is the most congested interstate interchange in two states in North Carolina and South Carolina,” said Stephen Rosenburgh with the North Carolina Board of Transportation.
“All of us who live west of here, we really get to sit in this traffic a lot,” NC House Speaker Tim Moore said. “We see the wrecks that happen, we see the wasted energy that happens and frankly, the encumbrance that it causes people trying to get back and forth.”
Speaker Moore was joined by Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, North Carolina Department of Transportation and other state and local leaders in West Charlotte to announce a new project to improve the interchange Thursday.
For the price tag of $45,000,000, the ramp carrying southbound traffic toward Interstate 85 southbound would be redesigned. The ramp is used daily by commuters from Gaston County - and others traveling from I-85 or US-321.
The money will come from the house contingency funds and should cover the full cost of the project. Speaker Moore said without this money the project would not happen for another 10 years and this is a necessary jumpstart.
“That will accelerate the timeframe to fix this interchange from 2033 down to 2025,” Moore said. “That will make a huge difference for the men and women and families who travel this road every day to get to and from work, to and from home, taking kids to school, all of the commerce that happens here with tractor trailers.”
Currently, three lanes of traffic from the inner and outer loops of Interstate 485 merge right before meeting with the southbound lanes of Interstate 85. The updated design would delay the merger with Interstate 85 until after the overpass with Sam Wilson Road. The redesign would allow the traffic from Interstate 485 more time before merging. Currently, merging delays often stretch back onto curved bridges from I-485, which could make it hard for drivers to see delays ahead.
In a letter shared with reporters Thursday, Moore said the redesign would "enhance public safety, help eliminate congestion, boost efficiency and productivity, and enhance the quality of life for the motor public."
It’s a project that also improves flow in and out of the airport.
“The added lanes are going to be so important for roadway connections, to streamline arrival, speed, time and congestion and all of that… but most importantly it allows us to continue to grow,” Lyles said.
The request for the funds to redesign the roadway will go before the North Carolina Board of Transportation.
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