7 state road projects in Mecklenburg get a boost
7 state road projects in Mecklenburg get a boost
Widening of N.C. 160 in Steele Creek slated for construction in 2028; Matthews and Huntersville projects also added
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Amid road funding shortfall, new money from the state puts 7 projects back on a schedule
N.C. 51 in Matthews (Matthews Township Parkway) is scheduled to be widened starting in 2029, according to a new schedule released by the state in August.
by Tony Mecia
A new infusion of cash from Raleigh is boosting the outlook for seven state road construction projects in Mecklenburg County.
Under the latest draft of the state’s transportation funding plan, released in August, those seven projects now have estimated construction dates that they didn’t have before. Although many of those projects are still years away, that’s better than dozens of other state road projects in Mecklenburg, which have no estimated dates — which makes them more like a wish list.
Those seven projects — two in Charlotte, two in Matthews and three in Huntersville — are being given new life because the state legislature this summer voted to supplement road funding with sales tax revenue, instead of just the traditional gas tax revenues.
“That was really significant throughout the state,” said Neil Burke, deputy director of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization. That translated to about $435 million in additional road money for Mecklenburg, Iredell and Union counties, he said.
This map of Mecklenburg County shows the funding status of state road projects: those in green are funded and are expected to start construction in the next decade. Those in orange (such as adding express lanes to I-77) have preliminary engineering funded. Ones in red are unfunded and not scheduled. (From Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization)
The N.C. Department of Transportation still faces challenges with escalating costs, and dates for many high-profile, big-ticket road construction plans — like widening I-77 south of uptown and reworking I-277’s interchanges — remain in limbo, as do hopes for money for new rail lines and bus improvements.
“The revenue transfer from the General Assembly — that’s a short-term gain, but it will not solve long-term issues,” Burke said. Planners have said transportation funding in North Carolina will require new sources of money, since gas tax revenues are expected to diminish as more drivers switch to electric vehicles. Charlotte’s plan to add new transit lines to the mix are another big question mark.
Steele Creek road widening: The biggest state road project to join the construction list is the widening of a seven-mile stretch of N.C. 160 in Steele Creek, a project estimated at $138 million that’s scheduled to start construction in 2028.
The widening of a 7-mile stretch of N.C. 160 in Steele Creek, from the state line to inside I-485, is projected to start construction in 2028. (Map from N.C. Department of Transportation)
The seven newly scheduled Mecklenburg projects are part of 37 state road projects on the books to be built in the county over the next 10 years. There are 10 other big projects that have funding for preliminary engineering — mostly interchanges on major roads such as I-485 and I-85.
The seven projects are:
Charlotte: N.C. 160 widening
Details: From S.C. line to N.C. 49 (South Tryon Street). Widen to 2 lanes each direction.
Construction date: 2028
Charlotte: N.C. 27 (Freedom Drive) widening
Details: Toddsville Road to Moores Chapel Road. Widen to 4 lanes.
Construction date: 2028
Huntersville: N.C. 115 (Old Statesville Road) widening
Details: N.C. 24 (Harris Boulevard) to I-485. Widen to 2 lanes each direction.
Construction date: 2030
Huntersville: U.S. 21 (Statesville Road) widening
Details: Northcross Center Court to Westmoreland Road. Widen to 2 lanes each direction.
Construction date: 2029
Huntersville: Gilead Road widening
Details: U.S. 21 (Statesville Road) to N.C. 115. Widen to 4 lanes.
Construction date: 2030
Matthews: N.C. 51 (Matthews Township Parkway) widening
Details: Sardis Road to East John Street/Monroe Road. Widen existing roadway.
Construction date: 2029
Matthews: East John Street/Old Monroe Road widening
Details: Widen from Trade Street to west of I-485.
Construction date: 2029
In addition, here are the construction start dates for other high visibility state road projects:
Widening U.S. 521 from state line to Ballantyne Commons Parkway: 2026
Add express lanes and general purpose lanes on Independence Boulevard from Sardis Road to Idlewild Road: 2030
And there are still projects under construction. The addition of the I-485 toll lanes in southern Mecklenburg is expected to be done by late 2024, an NCDOT spokeswoman said this summer.
Related Transit Time articles:
“A huge funding shortfall looms over North Carolina’s roads” (Nov. 11, 2021)
“How the cost of widening a Matthews road increased 10x” (March 24, 2022)
In brief…
Broken-down CATS buses add to transit woes: Add another struggle to CATS’ already-struggling bus system: About 1/3 of its buses are out of service on any given day, and drivers and mechanics say they don’t have the resources they need to keep the buses running. “The management company ran it to the ground,” one former mechanic said of RATP Dev, the private company that runs Charlotte’s bus system. Drivers said the broken-down buses are preventing them from operating routes on time, or, in some cases, at all. (WBTV)
Design for new uptown bus station: The city of Charlotte has hired a company affiliated with developer White Point Partners to design a new bus station on the site of the current Charlotte Transportation Center. White Point is the developer of a planned mixed-use building on the site, and it and the city had proposed moving the bus station underground. But CATS CEO John Lewis told council members that they will see options on a new bus station and that whether it is underground or not has not been decided. It’s a $2.9 million contract. (WFAE)
That’s one way to ride: Broken-down buses didn’t stop one man from catching a ride by clinging to the back of a bus on Blendwood Drive, off The Plaza. “I’m thinking in my head, if he falls off the back of that bus, like any one of the cars back, like behind us, could have hit him,” the driver who filmed the joyride said. (WSOC)
Traffic trouble at new Steele Creek high school: It’s the first week back at school, which means traffic troubles are guaranteed. Palisades High School in southwest Charlotte is newly opened with 1,700 students, and it’s causing traffic problems on N.C. 49, especially with commuters coming crossing the bridge from York County. “I sat in traffic, but I know we’ll be working on that,” said CMS board member Lenora Shipp. “I live in the community, and it took over 30 minutes to get here.” (WSOC)
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