Charlotte road widening project completion date extended almost 2 years

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Work on a widening project that started more than three years ago along Mallard Creek Road in north Charlotte will not be finished for almost two more years, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said.

Work on the three-mile stretch between North Graham Street and WT Harris Boulevard began in January 2014, and was supposed to be complete by April of this year, but the NCDOT said it will be April of 2019, leaving many who live and work there beyond frustrated.

“I live right around the corner and it's a real pain. It's a real pain,” said William Dickens, who was caught in traffic Wednesday morning.

“I don't understand where the taxpayers' money is going to. It's ridiculous,” Dickens said.

“It should be very simple. I don't understand the delay,” said Starke Ratcliffe, who owns a floral warehouse and several other buildings in the area.

“It's hard to get DOT on the phone to answer any questions,” Ratcliffe said.

NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Thompson told Channel 9 that they feel the neighbors’ frustrations.

“It is unacceptable, and this is something we're continuously trying to mitigate,” Thompson said, adding that many of the delays have come because utility lines were not properly marked or moved on time and that they had to suspend work on the project for a year while lines were moved.

Thompson said she understands the neighbors’ frustrations, and that the project is back on track, even if it’s a little later than they would like.

“We will continue to provide updates and continue to provide progress reports, but we want to see this finished as much as they do.”

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