Commuters know the stretch of I-85 at mile marker 26 as the “Belmont squeeze,” where traffic often bottlenecks as lanes lessen from four to three as drivers pass through Charlotte into Gaston County.
But state lawmakers and local transportation officials are making a push to widen I-85 from thee lanes to four in each direction from Exit 26 in Belmont to Exit 10 at the U.S. 74/29 interchange near Crowders Mountain.
Rep. Dana Bumgardner, R-Gaston, says the stretch of interstate highway that passes through Gaston County will be the “weak link” of I-85 in the state once workers complete an ongoing road widening project around Concord.
“We’ve got more traffic there than three lanes can handle on I-85,” Bumgardner said. “I-85 – definitely – is a road that needs to be widened.”
Transportation officials will push for the widening of I-85 through Gaston County under the state’s new system for funding major road improvements.
It will compete against similar widening projects including: I-77 in Charlotte; I-95 in Fayetteville; and I-40 in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill for funding, said Hank Graham, a lead transportation planner for the city of Gastonia. The Garden Parkway, a proposed 22-mile toll road that would pass through southern Gaston County, will also be part of the mix seeking funding.
Under the state’s new highway funding system, the N.C. Department of Transportation will weigh the merit of road projects based upon construction cost, expected job creation, safety and other details to assign points for each proposal. The new system aims to remove politics from the equation.
“I think the widening of I-85 would score very high on the new formula,” Bumgardner said.
Other state lawmakers have also endorsed the plan, as well as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Gaston and surrounding counties.
Transportation officials expect to hear word on where large projects rank under the system in April.
I-85 was last widened in Gaston County in the late 1980s.
Graham estimated it would take seven to 10 years to widen I-85 as desired. Years ago, the cost was estimated at around $300 million, but it would likely cost two or three times that now, he said.
You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin.
Daily traffic counts on I-85 in Gaston County
Exit Vehicles per day
10 44,000
13 72,000
14 77,000
17 84,000
19 99,000
20 105,000
21 108,000
22 110,000
23 118,000
26 118,000
27 116,000