CLEVELAND COUNTY — The U.S. Highway 74 Shelby Bypass has attracted new development to Cleveland County, despite being under construction since 2013. While the conclusion of the highway project is nowhere in sight, those in Shelby are optimistic the bypass can help elevate the area’s economy sooner rather than later.
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Businesses are coming, as Clearwater Paper Corp. and Greenheck Group already employ hundreds in manufacturing facilities near the bypass and several more speculative industrial projects and properties are on the market in the area. But a prominent state legislator believes the bypass project can be sped up, which could lead to more development.
“I think we’re just scratching the surface because a lot of business will look at it once it’s built,” said N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, who represents Cleveland County. “There’s a lot of new, nice, modern facilities that have been built. And the only reason they’ve been built there is because they know they have access to that bypass.”
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