Audience members signed petitions to Governor Pat McCrory requesting the cancellation of the Widening project (Jonathan Cox/DavidsonNews.net)

Widen I-77 organizer Kurt Naas explains concerns about unnecessary spending on tolling infrastructure (Jonathan Cox/DavidsonNews.net)

By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net/CorneliusNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Leaders of Widen I-77, the citizen activist group lobbying against proposed high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on I-77, urged supporters Tuesday night to petition Gov. Pat McCrory to cancel the project.

In a meeting at Charles Mack Citizens Center, organizer Kurt Naas gave a presentation titled “I-77 Tolls: What We Don’t Know Can Hurt Us”  to a crowd of about 100 people. Naas outlined the group’s concerns about potentially high tolls, unnecessary spending on tolling infrastructure, and continued congestion on the busy thoroughfare.

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The pedestrian walkway down the center of the DDI at Poplar Tent Road (Jonathan Cox/CorneliusNews.net)

By JONATHAN COX
CorneliusNews.net

CONCORD –  North Carolina’s first functional diverging diamond interchange is now open on the Poplar Tent Road overpass over I-85, putting drivers on the opposite side of the road as they enter, exit and cross the interstate.  Davis Diggs, NC Department of Transportation’s resident engineer, said Monday that drivers have adjusted quickly to the new pattern, despite concerns that its design might cause confusion.  The interchange is one of four that have been under construction in the Charlotte area and provides a glimpse at how traffic will flow once the NCDOT’s $6 million reconstruction project is completed at Exit 28 in Cornelius.

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By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson is ahead of the national average for “passive parkland” – green space without paths or trails – but it lags behind when it comes to “active parkland.”  The current draft of the town’s proposed Parks & Recreation Master Plan seeks to address the issue, officials said Tuesday night.  Also on the agenda at a Town Board work session were changes to the town’s noise ordinance, as well as changes to the minimum housing code that would make it easier  to demolish abandoned buildings. Read on for details.

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Representatives from the town of Davidson were joined by NCDOT staff at Davidson Town Hall, one of three meetings in the area Thursday. From left: Mayor John Woods, NCDOT Chief of Staff Bobby Lewis, Commissioners Beth Cashion and Rodney Graham (Jonathan Cox/DavidsonNews.net).

By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net

In a series of meetings opened to the public at the last minute, officials from Cintra and the NC Department of Transportation fielded questions from local elected officials about proposed High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-77. Read the full story

By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net

Staff from the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and Spanish construction firm Cintra will hold private meetings Thursday with town officials from Huntersville, Davidson, Cornelius and Mooresville to discuss the DOT’s planned I-77 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes widening project.

The NCDOT said Wednesday the meetings are aimed at dispelling misinformation about the project, as well as preparing for a September community information meeting on the I-77 project. During the meetings, the NCDOT will review a fact sheet, animations and other general project information currently posted on the I-77 project page. Read the full story

Starting at 8am Thursday, the section of Sloan Street that connects to Gamble Street will be closed while Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities repairs a sewer pipe. The work should be done by Friday night. Read the full story

Workers from Bryant Electric Repair and Construction prepare to install the new traffic beacons at the Griffith Street roundabout.

By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net/CorneliusNews.net

Construction crews were at work Wednesday drilling holes for new crosswalk beacons at the two roundabouts on Griffith Street. The $121,000 project is aimed at making crossing at the roundabouts safer and easier for pedestrians. Read the full story

Roosevelt Wilson Park bridge design (Lawrence Group)

A year after forcing the Town of Davidson to halt construction, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a permit allowing the town to replace the boardwalk at Roosevelt Wilson Park along Griffith Street.

Public Works Manager Doug Wright said the town was notified of the approval last Friday, June 20, by Duke Energy, which manages Lake Norman and connected waterways, including the Davidson Pond. Read the full story