NCDOT plans to illuminate dark interstates in Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Every day, tens of thousands of drivers in Charlotte face a dangerous commute on dark interstates.

Hundreds of lights that are supposed to illuminate highways have been burned out for months, if not years.

On Tuesday, North Carolina Department of Transportation officials unveiled a solution -- new LED lights.

"The combination of no lights and bad stripes, poorly marked lanes make it really impossible, especially late at night or in the rain," motorist Terry Mixter said about driving on Interstate 77 at night.

He's relieved the dangerous drives in the dark are nearly over.

His daughter, Jenny Mixter, described her regular commute on Interstate 277.

"You have to check your blind spots, double-check, make sure there's nobody hiding in the dark," Mixter said.

There are about 900 lights that are burned out across Mecklenburg County. That is about 30 percent of the area's 3,000 lights.

"I've been here four years and it's been this way all this time, so what the heck?" Terry Mixter said.

"What do you say to the people who wonder if the state has failed them in keeping roads safe?" Eyewitness News reporter Mark Barber asked NCDOT official Dave Davis.

"I can say that we're doing our best. There are budget constraints," Davis said.

Davis said NCDOT couldn't fix burned-out bulbs sooner because it had to wait until state funding was lined up to cover costs.

The new $31 million project will light up I-77, Interstates 85 and 485, I-277 and Independence Boulevard from I-277 to Albemarle Road.

Crews will monitor the new lights from upgraded control panels. As soon as any of the lights go out, NCDOT will be notified immediately. The new system will keep lights burning longer than they ever did before.

"Why do the current lights fail so often, and will the new ones have the same trouble?" Mark Barber asked Davis.

"The old, high-pressure sodium lights, they just do not last as long as they used to," Davis said.

He said the new lights are much more reliable so drivers can count on them to last for years.

The department estimates the savings from the energy-efficient bulbs will translate to $56 million over 15 years.

NCDOT is expected to finish the replacement work by March 2018.

Crews will close some interstate lanes for repairs. That work will happen overnight, which hopefully won't disrupt traffic too much.

NCDOT can't replace the lights in the toll lane construction zone on I-77 north of uptown until that enormous project is complete.

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