Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Charlotte
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 06-20-2007, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Derita (charlotte, nc)
70 posts, read 349,424 times
Reputation: 26

Advertisements

Official: I-485 widening not enough

10:27 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 20, 2007

By MICHELLE BOUDIN / WCNC
E-mail Michelle: MBoudin@WCNC.com

NCDOT talks about I-485 widening CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte stretch of highway is called one of the worst in the state for congestion. But the same transportation officials who gave it that grade admit the only help they can offer won't be enough.

Interstate 485 from Interstate 77 to Johnston Road is jam-packed every morning and afternoon.

“Oh it's very congested, it's a nightmare at rush hour,” said driver Barbar Eudy.

Driver after driver, day after day, spend minute after minute watching the taillights in front of them.

Ray Eschert said, ”In the morning, quarter to 7 past 8:30, it is bumper to bumper.”

But the state did just give the green light to widen that six-mile stretch of I-485 to three lanes in each direction.

Department of Transportation Project Development Engineer James Bridges said at a citizens workshop Tuesday afternoon, “We’re making improvements to this -- will it be a complete fix? No.”

That's right, even the planners admit their plan is not going to work.

Bridges admits the road needs to be widened “yesterday,” but the work won’t actually begin until 2013, and he said three lanes won’t be enough. He said the state will likely add more lanes soon after completing the initial project – there just isn’t funding to do it all at once.

Eschert organized the Ballantyne Breakfast Club to fight for better roads into the area.

“I think they need to just bite the bullet and make a best attempt effort to do it right this time rather than come back and revisit it,” he said.

Some though think the construction will never catch up with the growth in the area.

“They could add two or three or five more lanes in each direction and I think we have enough traffic to fill it up,” Eudy said.

The current plan has construction beginning 2013 and it will take at least two years to complete.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 06-20-2007, 09:23 AM
 
Location: The 12th State
22,974 posts, read 65,305,693 times
Reputation: 15075
I see the section that has not even open yet on the north end will have the same type of issues between the vance road interchange to the 77 interchange and the 85 interchange due to their is no good way to go east/west (vice versa).

I will refer to this post when someone is complainging about traffic after that opens LOL. Right now for people who are in huntersville area have to go uptown to 277 then to independence to get to matthews or take stop light every 500 feet road also known as harris blvd.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 09:33 AM
 
85 posts, read 280,741 times
Reputation: 39
LOL...I've seen it for years...Beltways only CIRCULATE traffic, they don't alleviate it...Atlanta's 285 is a mess all day long, and traffic, like plumbing is ALWAYS limited to the smallest portion...feeding 10 lanes into 2 lanes is a classic bottleneck...there is no solution, EVERY state DOT I've worked with takes YEARS to budget and construct and by that time it's ALWAYS too late. Brawley School Road ring a bell....it's been rescheduled 4 times, to my knowledge.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 09:42 AM
 
Location: Fort Mill, SC (Charlotte 'burb)
4,729 posts, read 19,371,673 times
Reputation: 1026
If they add a lane each direction and improve the entrances and exits, it would alleviate some of the congestion. Part of the problem is 485 east at exit 65, the only warning that he lane ends is 2500 feet before it turns into an exit. The short merging from exits 64 A and B cause a lot of problems too. Now if people would just carpool or something. Oh, wait, yuppies from Ballantyne have to show off their Lexus SUV's and been seen in them with the fake baseball through the glass sticker and "Honor Student" bumper sticker.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
3,364 posts, read 9,987,301 times
Reputation: 1947
Quote:
Originally Posted by groove1 View Post
Now if people would just carpool or something. Oh, wait, yuppies from Ballantyne have to show off their Lexus SUV's and been seen in them with the fake baseball through the glass sticker and "Honor Student" bumper sticker.

Fav. bumper sticker "My kid beat up your honor student"

I do not care that your kid may be smart in class, if you want a baseball in the car park it near some kids playing baseball.

Oh and bullet holes can be arranged!!!!!

I-485 is a mess and I would presume always will be, I am looking forward to trying out the light rail once it opens, just a shame pineville stopped it from coming further south.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 11:41 AM
 
755 posts, read 2,484,108 times
Reputation: 325
2013?!!! Since this state has the highest gas tax in the South, why don't we have better roads?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
3,364 posts, read 9,987,301 times
Reputation: 1947
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weedydidi View Post
2013?!!! Since this state has the highest gas tax in the South, why don't we have better roads?

As they spend all the money in Raleigh!!!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 11:54 AM
 
157 posts, read 528,414 times
Reputation: 67
I honestly feel that they shouldnt widening I-485 at all. It will only cause more growth and traffic. There are too many people in the area anyway. I say let whomever deal with it till they get frustrated enough to move to another city. As soon as they widening that spot, more people from up north or the yuppies with their BMW750's and oversized H3's or some South Carolinans comming from Ft Mill will fill the new lanes up and it will be the same situation it is now!! This is my personal opinion. I know I will get some heat about this one. LEAVE IT BE

Last edited by sgibbs2007; 06-20-2007 at 01:09 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 12:06 PM
 
Location: The 12th State
22,974 posts, read 65,305,693 times
Reputation: 15075
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weedydidi View Post
2013?!!! Since this state has the highest gas tax in the South, why don't we have better roads?
The funding formula for roads is complicated. But there are discretionary funds. In the past few years, from a pot of about $15 million, Mecklenburg got just under $2 per person for roads. But 41 eastern counties, all east of I-95, got $12 per person. That’s also according to reports. Then there’s the equity formula, which makes sure rural areas of the state don’t get left out. It’s kind of an insurance policy for them. What it doesn’t do is guarantee road money for fast-growing cities like Charlotte
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2007, 01:04 PM
 
85 posts, read 280,741 times
Reputation: 39
Now you know why urban areas are expensive...typically developers foot the bill for the roads...known as"impact fees" and pass them directly to new owners...in FL there is a law known as "consitency and concurrency" which REQUIRES roads to be in place prior to building....the problem everywhere is that the interstate highway system is Federally controlled and the review, approval, budgeting and funding processes are controlled by the same morons who run the Fed Govn't...the call it job security...say no more.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Charlotte

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top