By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury Post
Sections of 16 unpaved roads scattered about the county are on the state’s list for improvements, including paving.
A total of $3.1 million is available for the Rowan projects, which total just under seven miles.
Chris Corriher, district engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation, will present the proposed state construction list to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on July 16. Commissioners will be asked to approve the priority list.
Some roads at the top of the priority paving list have been there before.
Under state policy, if the property owners won’t donate the needed rights of way, a project is put on hold. At a future time, when the property owners agree to give the rights of way, the road can move back to the top of the paving list.
Four roads previously on the list but still unpaved and now back at the top are Peach Orchard Lane, Redmon Road, Harris Point Road and 30th Street between Kannapolis and Landis.
Corriher said the $3.1 million allocated for paving is about the same as in previous years.
The county could use a lot more to complete the paving of nearly 24 miles of unpaved roads on the state system.
Corriher acknowledged that a lot more unpaved roads in the county aren’t on the state system.
And funds from Moving Ahead, a program that had a major impact in the county, have dried up.
“We would love to have the Moving Ahead program back,” said Corriher. Over a four-year period, Rowan got between $10 million and $12 million to widen and upgrade roads all over the county.
“We’d like to have that money for 10 or 12 years and we could fix most of the narrow roads in the county,” he said.
Until such funds are available, the district highway office will focus on repairing and paving with available funds.
Rural roads on the 2007 priority list for paving, with the mileage to paved and estimated costs are:
– Peach Orchard Lane, .5 miles, $140,000;
– Redmon Road, .5 miles, $140,000;
– Ketner Farm Road, .8 miles, $290,000.
Subdivision roads on the list:
– Harris Point Road, .2 miles, $80,000;
– 30th St., .2 miles, $70,000;
– Erwin Temple Church Road, .42 miles, $105,000;
– Patrick Drive, .11 miles, $25,000;
– Sunfish Terrace, .39 miles, $115,000;
– Erskine Drive, .36 miles, $110,000.
In addition to the 2007 list, the Department of Transportation has earmarked $1.3 million to complete funding for roads that were on the 2006 list. Those include:
– John Morgan Road, $225,000;
– Goodman Road, $290,000;
– Lipe Road, $125,000;
– Reeves Island Road, $175,000;
– Cemetery Drive, $15,000;
– Cannon Road, $250,000;
– Harris Road, $250,000.
County commissioners will conduct a public hearing on the paving priority list at the July 16 meeting, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette @salisburypost.com.