Exit 27: Yea or nay? Now or later?
Aug. 8. By Dave Vieser. Are we hearing mixed signals about the impact a new Atrium Hospital could have on convincing the NCDOT to fund a new Exit 27 on I-77?
Not necessarily, says Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron.
When Atrium officials unveiled their Cornelius Hospital plans in July, town officials suggested that the new hospital would help convince NCDOT to build an exit at Westmoreland Road.
Wayne Herron
“The new Exit 27 would be a major development not only from an economic standpoint but it would also be positive for Atrium for the purpose of getting patients in and out of the hospital in a safe efficient way,” Herron said at the time.
However, in a response to Cornelius Today reader Carol McKinnell, who raised concerns about traffic, Herron saidAtrium is preparing a traffic impact analysis (TIA), as required by Town Code.
“[They] will be required to build and fund any improvements deemed necessary, due to their impacts on the area. The traffic engineers involved for the Town and for Atrium, do not believe Exit 27 at Westmoreland Road and I-77 will be a required improvement based on the impact that is being presented,” Herron said.
Devil is in the details
So when will we possibly see movement toward a new exit?
“The TIA is including traffic from both hospital phases and a projection for the Phase 3 commercial/office/retail portion and the estimate is that none of this will require an interstate exit,” Herron explained. “It takes a significant amount of trip generation to mandate an interstate exit.”
There will be other traffic requirements with signals and widenings, but no interchange.
Working together
What Atrium has pledged is to utilize their influence to work with the Town to achieve state funding for the interchange.
“Atrium would like to have the interchange for their safety and benefit as much as the Town for transportation and economic benefits,” Herron explained.
Bilodeau
Town Board Member Denis Bilodeau has also asked that the new exit be given priority. “With the current financial troubles at NCDOT, towns across the state are being asked to identify their highest priority projects. Without question, a new Exit 27 would significantly relieve congestion along our key travel corridors including the Exit 28 bridge.”
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27 is needed, then if for no other reason than to take pressure off 28! If you have ever tried to exit onto 28 from northbound 77 anytime between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm then you know what I am speaking about!
Who are these leaders that are against exit 27? Most all the tax payers want this exit 27 for obvious reasons. Maybe they are the ones who said this DDI on exit 28 was a good idea or the toll road would be inexpensive. Beware of your leaders they rarely get it right.
Exit 27 is, or should be, a NO Brainer! Forget about the hospital, we need it, NOW!!! I’m no traffic engineer but it is not much of a stretch to say exit 27 would remove nearly 1/2 of the traffic at Exit 28. Now you want to add a hospital, a development at Catawba & Westmoreland, among others. To anyone listening…Our roads are overcrowded and overburdened. The NCDOT obviously has strange priorities. You know, like that huge bridge to the Outer Banks. Sure, I know, tourism and all that. Unfortunately that bridge won’t be any good when the island disappears. Finally. Why does NCDOT keep pushing back projects? Don’t we pay taxes as well as road/gas tax?🧐
People say an exit 27 would help traffic, but that traffic would be dumped right into existing roads that are already dealing with too much traffic. If exit 27 dumped traffic onto Jetton, would advocates be so enthusiastic? I doubt it. People always want changes as long as someone else is impacted. Not themselves. Too much change is already overwhelming the area of an exit 27, such as a new hospital, a Northcross extension, and development of the Alexander Farm project. The intersection of Westmoreland & Statesville Rd. is becoming the sacrificial lamb for those who don’t live in that part of Cornelius. Exit 27 is an absurd idea.
Karen, no disrespect but I don’t think you are looking at a possible exit 27 the right way. Let’s say you live off Jetton, or Robbins Park, several neighborhoods on Westmoreland, or maybe Oakhurst.
It would be much easier, and more convenient, to use exit 27. That doesn’t mean a huge influx of cars ‘Right There’ but more of a distribution around town.
Everyone can admit that exit 28 is a mess. In ‘Theory’ we will get some improvements to Catawba and 21 as well as other roads.
I will leave you with this; If you live in the Peninsula and commute to Charlotte you know what hoops you jump through at exit 28. Would you not rather make a right on Catawba, left on Westmoreland, and get right on the highway? I know I would.
Those roads you plan to use to connect the peninsula with 77 have no regard for those who live along that route. That route is already a terrible traffic mess. People are having to avoid travel except for midday. You are advocating for your specific convenience at the expense of everyone along that route.
No I did not already respond to misguided remarks. Stop editing out what you don’t want to hear.
Off your meds today???
So Karen, out of curiosity, where do you live?
You said, “Those roads you plan to use to connect the peninsula with 77 have no regard for those who live along that route”.
What exactly do you mean by that? Traffic on Catawba in ‘that’ section is not that bad. Well…in the evening it is bad going north. But how many of those people would get on 77 at Westmoreland instead of traipsing up to exit 28?
Please don’t live up to ‘KAREN’ with some ridiculous answer. Thanks