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BELMONT, NC –Β North Carolina has a new system that shows how local road projects rank on the state’s priority list and determines where the money goes.Β
Two hot topics in Gaston County county are ranked: the proposed Garden Parkway and the I-85 widening project.
The Garden Parkway is ranked 175 out of 339 state projects. That’s good news for Gaston County residents who don’t want to lose their land and homes.Β
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“This would actually be the middle of a four-lane higway,” said Marie Young.
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A billboard outside Young’s Belmont home opposed the Garden Parkway. Marie and her husband Jeff want to keep their home on land that’s been in their family for 130 years.Β
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“Our house and my mother’s home and all of our cousins here… this would all be gone… all this property would be gone.” said Young.
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The Garden Parkway–also called the Gaston East-West Connector–is a proposed 22-mile toll road. It would cost about $840 million dollars.
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The Gaston Chamber says it would cut 20 to 30 minutes off the commute to Charlotte, add more than 2,600 jobs over four years, and improve traffic flow on I-85, US-29-47, and US 321.Β
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Former Belmont city councilman Bill Toole disagrees, saying money should be spent on other projects.
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“We need roads that reduce congestion, increase connectivity to economic generators, and will help create jobs,” said Toole.
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Toole points to a proposal to widen I-85, which would add an extra lane in both directions between Belmont and US 321 in Gastonia. The project ranked in the state’s top 20.Β
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“I-85 is the lifeblood of this county. It connects us to Birmingham and goes all the way up to Richmond. It is the crescent,” said Toole.
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NCDOT’s new system ranks projects by potential for job growth and economic development.
