By Elisabeth Strillacci

As part of the recent N.C. Economic Summit in Washington last week, East Spencer representatives were on hand to push for funding for an interchange off of Interstate 85 in their town that has been discussed for more than a decade.

Town Manager Michael Douglas and board of aldermen member Dr. George B. Jackson were both part of the coalition that attended the summit that was organized by Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Richard Hudson.

Along with the two men were Greg Edds, chairman of the Rowan County commissioners, Salisbury Mayor Tamara Sheffield and Assistant City Manager Kelly Baker,  President of the Rowan Chamber of Commerce Elaine Spalding and a number of representatives from the Rowan County business and higher education community.

Douglas said he was “incredibly grateful to the members of the delegation who came together and supported our project. I know other communities are trying to regain ground or have projects, and yet they all spoke about the exchange. I cannot say enough how much that means.”

“The North Rowan Connector project has been a Chamber priority for the past two years,” said Spalding. “We are all working together to see this new I-85 exit become a reality.”

Karla Foster Leonard, the chair of the chamber’s Business Advocacy, agreed, noting the delegation was in full support of the project.

“Our community leaders came together for the Old Beatty Ford project and it became a reality,” she said. “We have full confidence we will see this project come to live also.”

Douglas said when it happens, “because I believe it will,” it will benefit not just East Spencer, but Spencer and Salisbury and the whole of Rowan County.

“But it will drastically change the future of East Spencer, absolutely,” he added.

The proposal aims to create an interchange at McCanless Road and Correll Street, between existing exits 76 and 79. The city has applied for a $25 million federal grant for the project, and has received support from across the county, according to the town leaders.

“We went with a full package of support, with letters from Harry Warren, Carl Ford, leaders from Salisbury and Spencer, business leaders and letters from more than 100 East Spencer residents,” said Douglas. He added that when a representative from the Department of Transportation asked Representative Addison McDowell what his priority is, “he said this exchange.” Douglas said they met with McDowell and Senator Ted Budd personally, as well as with staff from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s office and from Senator Thom Tillis’ office.

Applications had to be submitted by the end of January for consideration, and there is a total of $150 million available for grants in 2025. Prior to the summit, Mayor Barbara Mallett and the board had called for letters of support from the community to take with them, and the community responded.

In addition, Mark Gibbs, the western deputy chief engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation sent a letter to Duffy expressing his support for the project. He explained that East Spencer has historically been essentially cut off from other communities and this project would address that.

“The DESIGN project will enable East Spencer to address many of its long-term socio-economic and mobility challenges,” wrote Gibbs. “Town residents will benefit from a more direct access to I-85. This access will decrease traffic on Long Street, reducing demand on that aging facility and making bicycle and pedestrian use less problematic. An access point to I-85 will open the East Spencer Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) to sustainable light industrial development including the 15 million square feet of industrial space under development along the I-85 corridor. In addition, with interchange funding in place, the town can pursue electronic vehicle charging stations as well as improved bicycle and pedestrian access through the project area, improving access to employment as well as to Hanford Dole Elementary School. This grant represents an opportunity to transform East Spencer, breaking the cycle of disinvestment and opening pathways to economic prosperity for its residents.”

The project has been discussed for nearly ten years, each time moving closer to fruition but not quite there.

As far back as 2019, Edds said there are three clear benefits to the project — tourism, economic development in East Spencer and the area and a direct route to I-85 for tractor-trailers. Edds noted even then that it is currently difficult to get to Dan Nicholas Park and the entrance-exit ramps would offer “direct access.”