MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - A heads up for drivers in Mooresville.
Starting Monday, September 15, a portion of West Wilson Avenue along U.S. 21 will be closed for construction. This is near Brawley School Road.
NCDOT says it’s to widen the road, but one longtime resident says the construction is just going to cause more traffic headaches.
If you drive along West Wilson Avenue and Brawley School Road, it’s hard to miss the construction work.
Richard Beck has lived in Mooresville since 1992 and has seen the growth firsthand.
“In this area from the Exit 35, if we’re going west, we can see it backed up at times almost as a traffic light right here. It can take five or six cycles to get through,” he says. “Where I live, I can still hear the cows in the morning. And I’m off Kistler Farm, which is on the east side, fastest developing side of the town. It’s going to have major congestion problems.”
Starting on September 15, NCDOT is shutting down one block of West Wilson Avenue, from U.S. 21 to the Country Club Apartments entrance. Officials say the closure is to widen the road, install a multi-use path and improve traffic flow at the intersection.
Beck is worried traffic is about to get much worse.
“It’s obviously going to be worse starting tomorrow because there’s only one major east-west thoroughfare left, and that’s 150, which is under construction, where you’re going to have to go a mile south to come across, back up, school buses everywhere. It’s going to be a mess tomorrow,” he says. “It’s a necessary evil, but I question why one side of the road could not be built and then used for two-way traffic while the other side is being built. Why do we have to do it all at once?”
His advice for commuters? Be prepared to sit and wait.
“Just, leave earlier, budget time, be extremely patient,” says Beck.
The closure is expected to last up to six months, according to the NCDOT.
NCDOT works with its transportation partners, including metropolitan and rural planning organizations, to select and prioritize projects, including the Brawley School Road widening project.
Approximately one block of West Wilson Avenue, from U.S. 21 to the Country Club Apartments entrance, will close for up to 180 days beginning Sept. 15 to widen the road, install a multi-use path and improve traffic flow at the intersection.
The project involves substantial fill work, necessitating a partial road closure. This closure will only impact West Wilson Avenue. U.S. 21 and Brawley School Road will remain open.
A signed detour will guide drivers around the closure using West Wilson Avenue, South Main Street, West McLelland Avenue, N.C. 150 and U.S. 21. Message boards will be placed ahead of the closure.
The portion of N.C. 150 used for this detour does not overlap with the ongoing N.C. 150 widening project.
NCDOT spokesperson
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