State to expand I-85 in Gaston County 4 years earlier than planned

GASTON COUNTY. N.C. — Traffic on Interstate 85 in Gaston County is so bad that the state has decided it needs to expand the roadway a lot sooner than it had planned.

State officials are now hoping a contractor will start construction in 2021 instead of 2025.

"It should've been done a long time ago," driver Donnie Franklin said.

Franklin said the backups can be so bad that it's painful.

"It's pitiful. It's getting to be like some of the bigger cities like L.A," Franklin said.

The most congested stretch of I-85 in Gaston County runs from Belmont to Highway 321.

Now, crews could start widening the interstate from six lanes to eight in four years -- instead of eight.

"They need to get on it quick because this town here is growing fast," driver Robert Melton said.

An estimated 3,000 extra tractor-trailers pour onto the interstate every year.

The interstate expansion will open more room for everyone, but officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said it will likely take another 10 to 20 years to start the final rounds of construction that will run the length of the entire county.

NCDOT officials said all the roadwork will be costly. The entire expansion is expected to amount to a staggering $544 million.

Since crews are building toll lanes while they're expanding Interstate 77 north of Charlotte, Channel 9 asked NCDOT officials if the new lanes would all be free, and they said yes.

Even though help is on the way, construction on the first stretch of I-85 between Belmont and Highway 321 isn't expected to be finished until 2025.

NCDOT officials said they can't bump the work up any sooner because they need to finish their planning studies, and another 750 road projects are also fighting for funding.

Exhausted drivers are encouraging others to buckle in for the wait.

"Be patient. Help will be on the way," Melton said.

NCDOT officials said their next steps for the project include completing environmental studies and selecting a contractor for the work.

There are also several other major expansion projects in the works in the Charlotte region.

There are plans to roll out more toll lanes to expand I-77 in south Charlotte and Interstate 485 near Matthews.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: