Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Last week I heard the I-85 exit project at Beatty Ford Road was removed from NC DOT’s list of present projects for Rowan County and placed somewhere in the future. This is a real blow to economic development in the Southern end of Rowan County and to the safety of drivers on that long uninterrupted stretch of I-85. I’m sure Fred Steen, a former state Representative from Southern Rowan and the project’s original godfather, was greatly disappointed too as were a many of the project’s boosters like Rep.Carl Ford, our county commissioners, and elected officials living in China Grove, Kannapolis (Rowan), Enochville, and Landis.
Many in Rowan County are scratching their heads about this I-85 project not scoring enough points on NC Dot’s formula.
Back in 2013 I interviewed a number of Rowan County elected officials about the importance of this much needed economic development stimulator and highway safety project.
Rep. Carl Ford (District 76), a long time resident of South Rowan and a China Grove radio station owner, told me at a Republican’s Men’s Club Breakfast in the spring of 2013: “Its a must do project not only for very important safety reasons, it needs to get done to lift the economy in South Rowan. It will do wonders for all of Rowan. I met with State Transportation Secretary Tony Tata. He seems all for it–asked a lot of questions. I believe the I-85 interchange will get done. Too much going for it. Time is right with I-85 being widened. Steve, you know and I know that interchange could truly spark major economic development.”
Former Rowan County Commissioner Jim Sides, during an interview about the time the County Commissioners floated a resolution concerning the I-85 proposed interchange off of old Beatty Ford Road, said: “That stretch of I-85 where the proposed interchange off of Old Beatty Ford Road will be located is a top priority for safety reasons alone. It’s a dangerous stretch of highway for over a six and half miles long where no emergency vehicles can quickly access. If there’s a major accident, a fuel tanker catches fire, or someone is unfortunate enough to have a heart attack–they can just about hang it up. Emergency help would be a long time coming–critical time would be lost. For safety reasons alone this interchange is a must do project. NC DOT sees this and that’s why they will likely jump on board. A lot of people who travel I-85 are endangered by the lack of emergency vehicle access here. If you had the bad luck of having a highway emergency at the midpoint between the two nearest interchanges you’d have quite a wait. That’s three and a quarter miles in either direction. You know the traffic on I-85 some days is pretty rough. Think about those Charlotte Race Car weekends. Bumper to bumper. Bud, you don’t want to have a wreck when that happens.”
Without even considering the project’s important economic impact in the southern part of the county, emergency vehicle access makes the I-85 interchange at Old Beatty Ford Road a major priority. Now they are forced to helicopter out folks injured in wrecks on that stretch of I-85.
Traffic is growing on I-85, forcing NC DOT to undertake widening the highway. Daily traffic counts back in 2010 ranged from 2,900 to 4,000 per day. The traffic count projections for 2035 are said to be about 4,100 to 5,800 per day. The highway demands widening for safety reasons.
Commissioner Craig Pierce, another outspoken booster of the I-85 interchange into Southern Rowan County, told me in a 2012 interview about the Southern region’s economic history: “One of the contributing factors to stagnant growth in the county is the agenda to keep all the business in Salisbury and not let it expand past the intersect of I-85 and Highway 152. A prime example is the lack of or intended absence of interchanges in Southern Rowan County. Next time you travel South on I-85, notice no interchanges exist between Highway 152 and Lane Street, linking the towns of China Grove, Landis, and Enochville. This was by design. In the 50’s, when the interstate was put through from Greensboro to Charlotte, cotton was king. Mr. Cannon and Mr. Corriher, owners of the largest cotton mills in the South, did not want their employees to be able to easily travel to other towns such as Charlotte and Greensboro to spend their hard earned money. Mr. Cannon and Mr. Corriher “convinced” the powers that be in Raleigh to bypass the southern part of the county with a viable interchange in order to corral their employees into their company-owned stores and communities. The rest is history. Now Rowan County is feeling the effect of these self-serving decisions. With the widening of I-85, this lessens our chance to fix the problem and open up this forgotten part of the county to new economic opportunities as Charlotte expands North and Greensboro expands South. If we miss this opportunity, then we are finished from ever being the county we could be.”
“I have,” continued Pierce. “On several occasions made my desire known to have a new interchange in the Southern end of our county become a reality. This would not only be an economic boon for China Grove, Landis, and Kannapolis, but would result in greater tax revenues benefitting the entire county. The increase in tax value of land and construction could easily top 300 million dollars. This does not include the sales tax revenue from big box stores, restaurants, entertainment, and service industry sales. That’s a lot of job creation. We could see our unemployment levels figures dive to levels around 4-4 1/2 percent. It is fair to say this is our future for Rowan County.”
Think about the I-85 into South Rowan. Think of the extreme retail leakage out of Rowan County and how economic and retail development in South Rowan could staunch that leakage and raise the county’s tax base. Think about jobs. Think about people’s lives being saved.
