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Some Charlotte interstates remain dark as delays continue for street light repairs

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation promised that all of the broken street lights along Charlotte interstates would be fixed by March, but that has not happened.

Eyewitness News reporter Mark Barber broke the story nine months ago and Friday, he uncovered another delay.

[NCDOT plans to illuminate dark interstates in Charlotte area]

Barber is continuing to investigate and is holding the NCDOT accountable for the $31 million in taxpayer money that is paying for the project.

It’s a dangerous drive in the dark that stretches mile after mile on Charlotte’s interstates.

"It's very unsafe, especially with all the highway traffic," motorist Don Britten said.

Last October, NCDOT promised the 3,000 burned out street lights would be fixed on time.

Earlier this year, NCDOT officials said the weather was slowing work down, but the lights would be on by the end of the summer.

That didn’t happen either.

In September, NCDOT said the project was delayed again because the contractor's repair plans weren't safe enough, so they were drafting a new plan.

After the second broken promise, NCDOT said the contractor could be fined if they didn’t fix all of the burned-out lights by last Monday.

While NCDOT tries to decide if the contractor, Brady Services Inc., should be fined, the contractor is blaming weather delays and asking for a four-month contract extension.

"Certainly, we understand where folks are coming from and we want to get this work completed as soon as possible,” an NCDOT spokesperson said. “Sometimes, there are things outside of anyone's control."

The contractor did not want to make a comment Friday.

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