Friday, Apr. 20, 2012
Modified Tuesday, Apr. 24, 2012

I-485 widening to start next summer

Toll lane to relieve congestion will play out in the next decade

By Caroline McMillan

The thousands of people who drive – and inevitably sit – on Interstate 485 during rush hours will see widening efforts finished by late 2015 or early 2016, N.C. Department of Transportation officials said last week at a public forum in Pineville.

Plans for the much-buzzed-about optional toll lane will play out in the widening project in the next decade.

The stretch of highway from I-77 to the Johnston Road exit of I-485 is one of the most congested in the state, carrying 120,000 cars a day on only four lanes.

The master plan, long in the making, has been for I-485 to be four lanes in each direction, from I-77 to U.S. 74.

Slated to start next summer, the first leg of construction will add a third general-purpose lane in each direction, from I-77 to the I-485 exit for Rea Road.

This third lane will be created from the existing median, and will be funded by a traditional mix of federal and state dollars.

“The corridor needs a lot of work, and it needs it quickly,” said Rodger Rochelle, director of NCDOT transportation programs.

The second leg of construction – to be finished before 2026 – would add a fourth lane in each direction, from Rea Road to U.S. 74.

To speed up the process and find funds for this fourth lane, the state is looking to a public-private partnership model.

Private companies bid for the rights to the project, agreeing to undertake the expenses. In return, the fourth lane in each direction will be an optional “express toll lane,” and the private company will get the revenue.
This takes the burden of paying for all of the road construction off taxpayers, Rochelle said.

Unlike some toll-roads, drivers wouldn’t be forced to pay for the service. Drivers would pay only if they use the lane.

The three companies bidding for the project are Lane Construction, Blythe Construction and Austin Bridge and Road Construction.

All have worked on road projects in the greater Charlotte area.

State officials will host another public meeting this summer to present the revised design plans and get feedback.

South Charlotte residents Christine Dupuis and Brett Schaefer, both 31, attended the NCDOT meeting at the Pineville Hut April 18 because the I-485 improvements are a factor as they look to buy a home. Right now, the engaged couple live in an apartment off Ballantyne Commons, and avoid driving during peak hours on I-485.

Unfortunately, they say, the house they’ve fallen in love with is within earshot of the interstate, and with more lanes comes more noise.

“I agree (the expansion) is probably necessary for those who travel the highway,” said Dupuis. “But the potential for additional noise and a decrease in the value of a home,” matters.

Another public-private roads partnership in south Charlotte is under way, and for antsy, traffic-weary south Charlotte residents, here’s some good news: relief work along Johnston Road could start as soon as next month.

In September 2011, Charlotte City Council members voted to rezone 520 acres off Ballantyne Commons Parkway for an expansion of the Ballantyne Corporate Park, which allowed Bissell Companies to move forward with plans to add one million square feet of office space to the area.

Bissell then agreed to fund $11 million in road improvements for Ballantyne, if a portion of new city property tax revenue from the project would be used to reimburse Bissell.

The expanding corporate park could make Ballantyne one of the state’s most congested areas, CEO Ned Curran said late last year at a Ballantyne Chamber of Commerce meeting, so infrastructure changes will be important moving forward.

Bissell will oversee the following road projects:
• Dual right-turn lanes onto Johnston Road (U.S. 521), heading north from Ballantyne Commons Parkway.
• A reconfigured intersection at John D. Delaney Drive and Brixham Hall – one of Charlotte’s top areas for traffic accidents – that will allow drivers to go through the intersection without stopping.
• Dual left lanes with signals at the three corners of the intersection at Ballantyne Commons Parkway and North Community House Road.
• An additional lane in both directions will make North Community House Road a four-lane road. Stoplights will be added at key intersections (locations pending).
• A bridge over I-485 linking Community House Road to Endhaven Lane and featuring $1 million worth of 8-foot bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks.

The plan is for the bridge project to be bundled with NCDOT’s first I-485 expansion, from I-77 to Rea Road. The state will build a flyover interchange so northbound traffic on Johnston Road can access the inner loop of the outer belt without stopping at a traffic light.

“That would improve the traffic capacity at the interchange quite a bit,” said Rochelle.

Most of the Bissell-funded road work is slated to be completed by early 2014, but the start times are staggered and could change.
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