Aug. 7. Dave Vieser. North Main Street needs improvements, but how to do them is the big question. The Cornelius Town Board has approved the recommendations of a feasibility study for Highway 115/North Main which includes widening the roadway to three lanes. With the approval in hand, town officials will now turn to CRPTO, the Charlotte Regional Planning Transportation Organization, and the DOT, to obtain funds for the improvements, estimated at over $10.4 million for construction.

The third lane would be added to facilitate left-turns, allowing traffic to proceed on the right side of a turning car.

“The Town has on several occasions, submitted plans to CRPTO and the DOT but has not scored well,” said Planning Director Wayne Herron. He said the reasons for the low scores include potential impacts on historic structures and properties and lack of a plan for congestion management improvement.

Separately, plans for a roundabout just south of the railroad trestle will alleviate traffic woes going to and from the YMCA. Work may begin late next year.

In 2016, the Town applied for and received planning funds from the CRTPO in order to conduct a new feasibility study for the NC 115 North corridor. “We selected WSP Engineers to perform the study and appointed a stakeholder group to provide feedback and make recommendations. The result is a two-part recommendation. First, widen the existing North Main to a three-lane cross section roadway.”

Herron said the third lane would essentially be a series of left turns for key locations, interspersed  with landscaping. “There would also be significant bicycle, pedestrian and aesthetic improvements that not only make the corridor a first class entry into Cornelius, but improves congestion management greatly”he added.

The second recommendation is a connector road to run from Town Center to South Street. “This would add significant congestion relief that makes the overall project that much better and more efficient.”

• North Main Project Stakeholders
  Woody Washam, Mayor
  Dave Gilroy, Commissioner
  Andrew Grant, Town Manager
  Wayne Herron, Deputy Town
  Manager/Director of Planning
  Kathryn McClelland, Historic
  Preservation Chair
  Joy Dean, Catawba North
  Ken Batts, Catawba North
  Gary Wingo, Carolina Cones
  Louise Cashion, Mt Zion Church
  Dr. Scott Higgins, Antiquity
  Neighborhood
  Matt Fitzwater, YMCA
  Jason Burdette, Davidson Planning
  Travis Johnson, Davidson Planner
  Bob Cook, CRTPO
  Stuart Basham, NCDOT
  Scott Cole, NCDOT
  Sean Epperson, NCDOT

Also at their August 5 meeting, the commissioners

• Recognized former Fire Chief Neal Smith for his years of service and dedication to the Cornelius Lemley FD. The board also recognized newly appointed Fire Chief Barbee and his fellow Fire Officers.
• Appointed Theresa Hawkins and Leah Shaw to serve on the Cornelius Library Endowment Committee.
• Named Kyle Scharf, Walter Burgess and Cindi Ferguson to the town’s Historic Preservation Committee. Planning Director Herron also said that the town will continue to advertise and seek a qualified individual to fill the remaining seat on the committee. Interested residents should contact Town Hall (704-892-6031).