Dec. 4. Cornelius will share the cost to prepare an application for a federal grant regarding a new Exit 27 with Atrium Health Lake Norman.

Local government and business officials have been advocating an exit near the Westmoreland Road crossover to help relieve traffic. With the new hospital on Hwy. 21 scheduled to open next year, traffic in the area will become even more congested.

Town Board backing

According to Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron, the estimated cost of the grant application is $69,500 with the town paying one half, or $34,750. The expenditure was unanimously approved by the Town Board Monday night.

The NCDOT, which previously estimated the cost of the new exit to be in excess of $100 million, has not yet designated the project for funding due to the amount.

A report from the Ferguson Consulting Group in Mooresville suggested that the NCDOT estimate was too high, and that a RAISE federal planning grant might provide a better funding pathway to get the project off the ground.

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program is a competitive grant program that provides federal funding for surface transportation infrastructure projects

Details

• A cost-sharing agreement with Atrium will be established for the RAISE grant application preparation, with the town and Atrium sharing the cost.
• The town will also enter into an agreement with Kimley-Horne consultants of Charlotte for the actual grant application preparation.
• The town’s General Fund balance will be used to pay for for the Town’s share of the planning project application.

Herron told the commissioners that Atrium did not hesitate to split the grant preparation cost.

Wayne Herron

Quotable

“In my opinion, that makes this an excellent grant opportunity for the town,” Herron said.