The project team in charge of widening and relocating U.S. 52 through eastern Rowan County has removed the historic area north of U.S. 52 at Gold Hill from consideration as a path of the highway.

Project Manager John Adams said the decision does not mean any new possibilities have been added for consideration. It means only that one has been removed.

“This is primarily due to the presence of significant historic structures adjacent to existing U.S. 52 and the potential for substantial residential and business relocations,” officials wrote in a recent newsletter updating progress on the project.

Adams said the team also has decided to move the corridor that would affect the Lyerly family farm between Interstate 85 and Bringle Ferry Road. The team proposes to move the U.S. 52 corridor farther east, to an essentially undeveloped area, Adams said, but he doesn’t know exactly where.

The state is conducting the U.S. 52 Relocation Study to identify potential corridors for a four-lane, divided highway from N.C. 49 at Richfield to I-85 in Salisbury, a stretch of about 19 miles.

The N.C. Department of Transportation has held a series of informational workshops to explain the various routes under consideration and to give citizens an opportunity to respond.

The routes under consideration boil down to two basic alternatives: a route that passes close to Rockwell and Granite Quarry and one that goes through more rural parts of the county to the northeast of the existing highway. Both routes would end up at I-85 and Union Church Road.

So far, citizen protest has come mostly from people whose homes or farms would be affected if the proposed routes came through or close to their property .

In August 1998, county commissioners and officials from the towns of Rockwell and Granite Quarry urged the N.C. Department of Transportation to chose the route closest to the existing U.S. 52, beginning at St. Peter’s Church Road, going near Sides Road, then moving across Gold Knob, Fish Pond and Mahaley roads to end up at I-85.

At the time, commissioners said the road being considered along St. Peter’s Church Road and east to the interstate would benefit only Stanly County, not Rowan County, and complained about not having input into the proposed routes. But state officials said county commissioners failed to show up at two earlier meetings about the project.

According to Newsletter No. 3 of the U.S. 52 Relocation Study, the state is engaged in detailed field studies “to determine probable natural, physical and social environmental impacts of the proposed roadway project.” These analyses prompted the state agency to remove the historic area in Gold Hill and the Lyerly farm area from further consideration.

The next step is to review results of the studies with federal, state and local agencies and hold a public hearing. An open house workshop will be held before the hearing to give citizens an opportunity to comment on the results of the study.

Earlier, highway officials said they expected to begin acquiring rights of way this year, but Adams said the project is moving at a slower pace.

A fourth newsletter will announce times, dates and locations for the workshop and public hearing. State officials are encouraging public involvement in the project with the following suggestions:

• Add your name to the project mailing list for future newsletters.
• Arrange for a small group meeting for your homeowner association, neighborhood group, Chamber of Commerce or community organization.
• Submit written or verbal comments to the project team.
• Attend the pre-hearing open house workshop and corridor public hearing.