The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced a $100 million grant to fund improvements to the I-85 corridor in Cleveland and Gaston counties in North Carolina.
According to a Sept. 15 WBTV report, the state will receive the grant funds, which will be administered by the North Carolina Department of Transportation for its Transportation Utilizing Resilient, Equitable Solutions project for the corridor from Charlotte to the South Carolina state line.
“We awarded $100 million to modernize I-85 in North Carolina,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a Nov. 14 post on Twitter. “This investment will reduce traffic congestion, create new sidewalks and bike paths, add electric vehicle charging stations and install broadband infrastructure for rural communities.”
Officials told WBTV the grant will fund the widening of a 10-mile stretch of I-85 in Gaston County, increasing it from six to eight lanes in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.
Gov. Roy Cooper lauded the grants, according to WBTV.
“Strengthening infrastructure and making transportation safe, clean and more resilient will build a stronger North Carolina,” Cooper said, WBTV reported. “These funds will deliver critical transportation improvements, better connect our people to high-speed internet and move our state forward on clean transportation.”
