Thursday, March 12, 2009

Here's the plan for the last of our stimulus money. Charlotte won't be happy.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation engineer who oversees the Charlotte region detailed Thursday how he plans to spend the last $10.6 million of stimulus money for the area.

* $4 million for the widening of N.C. 73 in Huntersville, east of Interstate 77. That project is already penciled in for $14 million in stimulus money.

* $1.6 million for a bridge replacement in Anson County. Barry Moose, division engineer with the N.C. DOT's Division 10, said one reason that project is moving forward is because the state has pushed for some of the stimulus money to be in economically depressed areas.

* $3.5 million to improve Morehead Road by Lowe's Motor Speedway. The road will be widened from three to five lanes.

* $1.5 million to cover and protect steel bridges spanning Interstate 77. The bridges will be repainted and protected from corrosion.

These projects total $10.6 million. In February, Moose announced five stimulus projects totaling $38.5 million, and earlier this month another list of $20.5 million in projects was announced.

At Monday's Charlotte City Council meeting, some council members were upset that more stimulus money isn't going to road projects inside the city limits.

N.C. DOT's Division 10 is Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Stanly and Anson counties.

Out of the division's $70 million in stimulus money, about $32.5 million is going to
Mecklenburg. The next biggest chunk is $17 million to repave N.C. 218, which includes a sliver of Mecklenburg by I-485.

The city of Charlotte, however, is only getting $4 million, plus some of the $1.5 million to improve the bridge spans over I-77.

It's easy to dismiss projects in rural Stanly and Anson counties as having no benefit to the average Charlotte motorist. But projects in north Mecklenburg, or Cabarrus or Union county can have a big impact because they are all part of the same metro area.

Moose said he understands Charlotte's concern as to whether it's getting enough money compared with the rest of the state.

"But once the money gets here, it doesn't make sense to squabble," Moose said.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

And these immediate, shovel ready jobs are suppose to stimulate the economy right now? What a joke. And shocking, Charlotte getting the shaft again from Raleigh.

Anonymous said...

Sounds to me like the money is going to be spent wisely.
Long as there is no waste then I say go for it!
We're going to keep tabs.

Anonymous said...

Why spend 3.5 Mil on a road that only sees heavy traffic 3 times a year. Maybe someone should talk Humpy into being a politician...


* $3.5 million to improve Morehead Road by Lowe's Motor Speedway. The road will be widened from three to five lanes.

Anonymous said...

Repaving 218. Really? That road is fine. Maybe some small sections. Moorehead Street from I-77 to Kenilworth is horrable.
Let Bruton Smith improve Morhead Road at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He is getting Stimulus $$ from Concord and his Lowes's Speedway made a profit in 2008.

Anonymous said...

Rt77 from Charlotte to Statesville
should be an embarassment to the NC DOT.Any accident is a disaster that backs up traffic for miles.A "normal" peak period has stop-go traffic that occurs each weekday from Noth Meck to South Iredell.I honestly don`t understand how they make decisions or create priorities.

Anonymous said...

Okay all you bankers that have been laid off - pick up your shovels and take advantage of all the jobs that Obama has created.

Anonymous said...

They are wasting are money left and right over at the CMPD. Check this blog out. Very informing. The info in the blog really does disgust me. Just think where the cmpd is heading....
http://cedarposts.blogspot.com/2009/02/rodney-monroe-update.html

Unknown said...

POSTERS: IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, WRITE BMOOSE@NCDOT.GOV AND TELL HIM OF YOUR CONCERNS.

Anonymous said...

This is why letting the government to provide road services is a bad decision. Allocation of govt resources is based upon political power and influence, and not on satisfying the needs of customers.

It has been proven time and again that the government does a poor job at providing this much-needed service. Every major city has rush hour (and often, longer) traffic jams.

Government has no vested interest at satisfying the needs of customers, except during election years when they make promises they never intend to keep.

Anonymous said...

All this borrowed money being given out by Obama to improve transportation while less people have jobs to drive to. What is going on???

Anonymous said...

Hey funny guy...I am one of those laid off bankers. How about I take one of those shovels and stick it up your a@$.

Anonymous said...

12:57 - the jab was on OBAMA - not on you. He is touting all the jobs he's going to create - but the ones his "stimulus" is creating aren't going to help all the white collar workers who have lost jobs. In fact, many will not even help Americans at all. They are low-wage, construction, and blue-collar jobs that will help illegal immigrants more than anyone. Weren't dissing on you, man.

Anonymous said...

hey banker , if you can pull it out of your own a@@ first.

Anonymous said...

That is even funnier. Glad you can take humor in people losing their jobs. Most of us working at are normal people just working to make a living. so Fuck YOU.