Feb. 9. Now that most of the construction at the Exit 28 DDI has been completed, attention turns to fine tuning its daily operation, which raises the possibility of changing state law to allow motorists to make a left turn on red.

As things stand now, motorists seeking to turn left onto Catawba Ave from the I-77 exit ramps must wait until the signal turns green, even if there is no traffic approaching from their right.

“In North Carolina, left on red is illegal in any situation” said Cornelius Police Chief Bence Hoyle. “However, DDI’s are new and we have spoken with the state specifically about this situation. I would expect to see some legislation introduced on this topic.”

Drivers exiting I-77 and turning right can continue to make a right turn on red if conditions permit, just as they did before the DDI was installed. For the time being, however, motorists turning left onto Catawba Avenue must wait until the traffic signal turns green.  “Until or unless we get specific legislation and proper signage, left turns on red can be dangerous. We need to wait for the law to catch up with the engineering,” Hoyle explained.