Sept. 24. The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently repaved and restriped Washam Potts Road, but it did not repaint the crosswalks, leading to confusion about how motorists and pedestrians are supposed to navigate the busy state-managed road.

There are two crosswalks on Washam Potts. The one at the intersection of Coachman Trace has crosswalk signs on both sides of the road. The one at the intersection of Ruffner Drive has a blinking yellow caution light to warn drivers when someone is entering the crosswalk.

The repaving and repainting of the yellow center lines were completed weeks ago. The white lines were painted in the last week but the white crosswalks were not re-installed.

Because Washam Potts is managed by the state, the Cornelius Police Department referred questions to the NCDOT. A spokesperson for the NCDOT said state inspectors are working with contractors to address the situation but did not have a timeline for completion.

“Our staff is aware this crosswalk has not yet been addressed,” said NCDOT spokesperson Jennifer Goodwin. “We will not allow the contractor to continue to place asphalt in other areas if they fail to catch up on striping work.”

By law, vehicles must stop as soon as a pedestrian enters a crosswalk, regardless of whether a lighted system is in place. Drivers must wait for pedestrians to exit the crosswalk before they proceed. It is unclear how that law applies when a crosswalk is not painted.