Roundabouts: We will remember you
June 7. By Dave Vieser. The triple roundabouts related to the troublesome intersection of Torrence Chapel Road and West Catawba appear to be doomed. At their pre-agenda meeting on Monday June 6, the Town Board concurred with the recommendation of the town staff that the roundabouts be abandoned, primarily as a result of a new analysis provided by the NCDOT.
Under revised project costs, the cost of building the three roundabouts has jumped by some $11.5 million. Since the town would have to shoulder all of the increase, the commissioners joined town officials in questioning the viability of continuing the project.
But before the town officially pulls the plug, the board asked town officials to ask NCDOT about possibly applying some of the funds initially slated for the roundabouts to other key projects in town, such as the widening of West Catawba Avenue or a new Exit 27 for I 77.
Under the original proposal, roundabouts were scheduled to be built at the intersection of Torrence Chapel Road and Knox Road, Torrence Chapel Road north of Old Torrence Chapel Road (near the Fresh Market entrance), and at the intersection of Liverpool Parkway and Chartwell Center Drive.
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2 of the 3 roundabouts never made sense in the first place. maybe the one on Torrence Chapel and knox road wouldn’t hurt. One large roundabout with 2 lanes at Catabwa and Torrence chapel would make more sense as long as its circumference is big enough for the amount of traffic. Yes you would need to commander some land from the corner businesses to make it happen but its money better spent. We need to do away with the crisscross bridge and make clover leaf entrance and exits on 77. that would eliminate 3 traffic lights and increase flow. Why is Cornelius married to that ridiculous bridge setup? it too congested in this town for that type of bridge. I think most residents would agree.
Rick, obviously you never lived in New Jersey. They had such roundabouts, they were called circles up there. Multiple lanes and several where 2 highways (think 73 & 115) merged together. MAYHEM! Everyone to themselves, be aggressive or get stuck in the middle. Not a great idea. NJ tore all of them out except for one.
Of course they are doomed just like all of the other projects that never materialized because of our past Cornelius Commissioners consistently dragging their feet.
Saying things like “why that is to costly we can never do that” than we wait and wait until the problem is much worse and cost much more. Saying again at that point “let’s just cancel that because it costs to much” just like in the first place.
As a result of hem hawing around and a denial of matching funding with the State Catawba Avenue could have been widened around 2007 for a fraction of the cost with the utility lines buried. Now the road is still not done and the utility lines will probably not be buried.
The penny raise in taxes is a great start to get things done.
Makes it sound like not alot of money doesn’t it? “raise taxes by a penny.”
Why don’t we ask Mecklenburg County what happened to the “raise taxes by just a penny and a half” tax for the rail that never came north. Look what happened to those tax dollars. Where is the rail? THE ONLY solution is EXIT 27……