July 24. By Dave Vieser. Resurfacing about five miles of town roads has been completed, concluding Cornelius’ bi-annual road rehabilitation program. NJR Group had the low bid, at a cost of $907,250.
Beardsley
The Town does resurfacing every other fiscal year, according to Tyler Beardsley, assistant town manager, who said the next round will be in FY 2025.
Town roads are primarily residential streets which carry a lighter volume of traffic than the roads like Hwy. 21 or West Catawba Avenue, which are maintained by the state.
Some of the roads which were resurfaced in descending order by length included the following:
• Mary Ardrey Circle
• Schooner Drive
• Charles Towne Lane
• Ruffner Drive
• Sandy Cove Road
• Cornelius St./Ct.
The town maintains a close watch on its roads, scoring each thoroughfare by the quality of the existing asphalt surface, as well as comments from residents.
How do you know if you live on a town-maintained road?
Generally, the residential streets that crisscross Cornelius are maintained by the town, while the more heavily traveled roads are maintained by the NCDOT. For example, Hwy. 21, Hwy. 115, West Catawba Avenue and Westmoreland Road are all maintained by the NCDOT.
Are there any exceptions?
There is a major exception now and more may be forthcoming. Jetton Road is a town-maintained road, but it wasn’t always so. Several years ago, the town, unhappy with the quality of maintenance by the state, struck an agreement with the state to take over maintenance of the road once the NCDOT performed one final resurfacing.Thus far this arrangement has proven to be very successful.
Could there be more exceptions?
Yes. Discussions are underway now within the town’s Transportation Advisory Board to consider having the town perform certain maintenance projects on state maintained roads. The sense is that Cornelius may be able to perform the tasks quicker than the NCDOT, where constant delays cause the project costs to mushroom.
How can I get more information or complain about a road?
Citizens who wish to offer comments about a town maintained roadway can always access the street smarts program which can be found on the town website: www.Cornelius.org.
