CORNELIUS, N.C. — Traffic troubles in Cornelius are driving the Town Board to look at ways to reduce congestion through the help of proposed construction plans put forth by NCDOT.
The points of focus are the intersections where Torrence Chapel Road meets West Catawba Avenue and Liverpool Parkway. Back in May 2017, design plans first began to eliminate left turns and create some roundabouts to help improve traffic flow in these areas.
NCDOT said the goal is to improve the time it takes to get through the intersection and cut down on back-ups to and from nearby I-77. Some drivers seem to be on board with the plan.
“If they eliminate left turns for those multi-phase intersections it improves the efficiency of that intersection," one driver said during public comment at Monday night's Cornelius Town Board meeting.
Another driver spoke about his hesitancy regarding the overall impact of the no-left-turn change.
“Can we just ask them [NCDOT] for an economic impact study of this to see what is it going do to small business on Torrence Chapel?" one driver asked.
Cornelius Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron said construction could happen between 2023 and 2024 and could cost up to $19 million. WCNC Charlotte has also learned that the price tag will only increase the longer the town waits to act.
“NCDOT indicates that the town would like to request the elimination of the left turns earlier than agreed upon," Herron said. "It would add approximately $10,000 to the project cost if they have the left turns eliminated the date the project opened.”
So far the town board has made no final decision on if or when the left turns might go.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.