CORNELIUS, N.C. -- If a major Lake Norman development project falls through, drivers may have to wait an extra 10 years to see part of Interstate 77 widened.

The company behind Augustalee in Cornelius planned to widen I-77 between exits 23 and 28 and build an interchange for Westmoreland Road.

"(The area) is just a mess," driver Jim Roberts said. "I-77 needs all the help it can get."

But now that the project hit a stumbling block after having trouble with its lenders, it may fall back on the state to tackle I-77's road needs.

Eyewitness News called local road leaders, and they said the developer plans to finish the road work by 2015. But they said if the state has to pick up the job, residents probably won't see the improvements until 2025.

Plus, it would cost taxpayers extraordinarily more than the current $108 million price tag, officials said.

Prakash Mehta owns a convenience store across from the Augustalee site. He said his excitement over the proposed changes has fizzled.

"I'm right now at 50 percent hope. I'm not like 100 percent," he said.

• IMAGES: Augustalee Development In Foreclosure