Exit 27 layout from 2015
Dec. 2. By Dave Vieser. At the Cornelius Town Board meeting tonight, commissioners will be exploring a federal grant which could be used to jumpstart planning for an Exit 27 on I-77.
Local government and business officials have been advocating a new exit for many years near the Westmoreland Road crossover, to relieve traffic in Cornelius. While the NCDOT has not yet identified the project for funds, a RAISE federal planning grant might provide a pathway to get the project going.
The possibility of using federal funds for an Exit 27 planning project were raised by The Ferguson Group of Mooresville, which prepared a federal legislative agenda for the town board’s consideration at the Dec. 2 meeting.
Quotable
“Based on a meeting with the US Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program staff, we believe a RAISE Planning Grant is currently the best fit for the project,” the Ferguson report says.
Details
Planning grants can be used to fund pre-construction activities, such as planning, preparation, or design, although right of way acquisition or construction are not eligible. The Town could request up to $25 million in planning funds and could partner with NCDOT and Atrium on the project.
The meeting will begin at 6 pm in Town Hall on Catawba Avenue. It will also be streamed via the town web site: www.cornelius.org.The town board will also vote on the 2025 meeting schedule.
Need this like oxygen! The single most important transportation improvement opportunity in our Town’s history, for all kinds of reasons. But 2030s too late, need to move.
Posted by Dave Gilroy, former Commissioner | December 2, 2024, 11:32 amIf Cornelius politicos had sold all the trees they are responsible for being cut down as fire wood there would be cash on hand to totally pay for this exit.
Posted by Donn Leppard | December 2, 2024, 12:35 pmI oppose this exit period. Until the state allows cities and towns to improve the infrastructure prior to development, I will continue to oppose all future development. Living here has become a road nightmare. This wonderful lake community is being ruined along with the quality of the lake.
Posted by Gary Taylor | December 2, 2024, 1:41 pmThis is interesting but doesn’t really solve a lot of problems. Traffic in our area is from people trying to avoid I-77 not trying to get on and off of it. Had we not decided to build another hospital (1 literally exists a mile away) this would even be a discussion. Now it is clear that there is going to be a need to access it without being stuck on the roads surrounding it.
Posted by Steve D. | December 2, 2024, 3:43 pmSome salty people on here. This will DEFINITELY help relieve traffic in the area. All the people living in between 28 and 25 that won’t have to go to those exits to get on the interstate. Traffic will still suck up here, but suck less.
Posted by GMS | December 2, 2024, 4:04 pmGuarantee the 2 comments above are from those types that say NOT IN MY BACKYARD. Exit 27 is not only necessary but vital for the area to survive.
Posted by TC | December 2, 2024, 6:29 pmPlease share with us how you feel the lack of this exit will kill the area? I am not sure I follow? In fact, I will go one stop further and say that the unnecessary hospital will be more of a detriment to the entire area than any exits. No one needed to get to any spots between 25-28 before the hospital and now suddenly that is the most important thing facing our town today. Unless you think there is a need for people to get to the 2 restaurants and the farmers market off of this new exit your argument makes no sense.
Posted by Steve D. | December 3, 2024, 3:18 pmDoesn’t seem like an Exit 27 will solve the problems as long as the rest of the surface road network (i.e., West Catawba, Westmoreland, Bailey and Statesville) remain 2 lane roads, the same as they were back before the turn of the century. Exit 27 will just serve to move the bottlenecks around.
Posted by Gerry Mander | December 2, 2024, 7:19 pmYou got that right…21 should be at 4 lanes with turn lanes from exit 28 to I85
Posted by Zee P | December 3, 2024, 7:58 amThe real problem is Rt.77. Local officials have done a terrible job for the last 50 years preparing infrastructure for the out of control development. Fix 77 and stop dumping the problem on everyone’s backyard. That is no solution. Its just a distraction from the mess elected officials perpetually make in Cornelius.
Posted by Karen Asche | December 3, 2024, 10:42 am