New Exit 27 heads up town’s legislative priorities
Photo by Jason Benavides
March 19. By Dave Vieser. Funds to plan and design a new Exit 27 at Westmoreland Road head up the 2024 legislative agenda adopted by the Cornelius Town Board last night.
The Town adopts a legislative agenda every year to identify our prioritie. Elected officials and staff use them to communicate with state officials on matters that have a significant impact on Cornelius.
This year, the agenda was accompanied by a letter from Christopher Bowe of Atrium Health, who said that a new Exit 27 means a great deal to the $250 million-plus project, improving access for patients and emergency vehicles.
The specific priority items:
—$9.5 million for planning & design for a future Westmoreland Road Interchange (Exit 27, I-77) for regional economic development, improvement to the transportation network, and improving emergency and patient access to the new Atrium hospital.
—$1.2 million for the hiring of 12 new full-time Firefighters plus associated operational costs allowing the Town to continue the transition to a full-time career department.
—$1 million for replacing Cornelius Fire Department’s radios that are nearing end of life.
—$1.5 million to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of NC 115/Catawba Ave.. This will accommodate increased pedestrian activity in the downtown Cornelius area.
—$3.5 million to construct a Town Recreation Center on the campus of the soon-to-be rebuilt Cornelius Elementary School.
Background: Exit 27 has been talked about for years.
In other action, the commissioners approved a low bid of $710,714 from Draw Enterprises of Charlotte for site work at a new Electricites substation. The project includes site clearing, erosion and sedimentation control measures, grading and landscaping. Work is expected to be complete in fall 2024.
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Finally! Not only will it serve the residents of the Westmoreland Rd area and the new Hospital, but it will relieve the congestion on W. Catawba as well. Having lived here since 2009, I know just how long this interchange has been discussed.
I’d like to know more. Last I knew this was an exit only and it went directly into the hospital.
A million dollars for department radios!? Either these are the most incredible radios on earth and they did a poor job of explaining it or we’re getting ripped off.
Recreation Center? We’ve barely heard about the “Soon to be rebuilt” school plan. What’s soon? Where’s the plan? CMS says the plan published here sometime ago was only preliminary/in-house. When will we have a public meeting about that?
I seriously doubt that this Exit 27 will ever happen. Whoever is in charge can’t even get a simple left turn lane on eastbound Westmoreland by Tenders!
And wait until that new Northcross extension they are now working on starts dumping traffic out on Westmoreland (with the majority heading toward W. Catawba). You think the intersection of W. Catawba and Westmoreland is terrible now – just wait!