June 17. By Dave Vieser. Delays which caused road and rail work on NC 115 to run late, spreading beyond Thursday’s commuter rush to Friday afternoon, generated a new round of criticism from one local official already upset with the prospect of the DOT overseeing toll lanes on I-77.

“In the 30 years I’ve spent as an officer in the US Army, at Harvard Business School, in many private business organizations, in serving several nonprofit organizations, and as an elected government official, I have never seen an organization in more desperate need of a change in leadership as NCDOT,” said Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy.

The work on Highway 115 encompassed replacement of an aging rail crossing and installation of new asphalt pavement on the state maintained highway. NCDOT officials were quick to note that it was Norfolk Southern Rail Road, not the NCDOT, which was actually doing the work.

“The railroad handled all the repairs, with NCDOT assisting with traffic control as needed,” NCDOT spokeswoman Jordan-Ashley Walker. The work was originally to be done on Tuesday June 14, but was pushed back to Thursday at the request of the railroad. Thursday is traditionally a heavier travel day than Tuesday and southbound traffic on 115 was backed up all the way into Davidson at 5:30 pm Thursday.

Repeated attempts to get comments from the railroad both before and during the work were unsuccessful.