I-485 construction causes headaches for some in its path

For months, north Charlotte drivers have been dealing with Interstate 485 construction.

Traffic on Eastfield Road is often dropped to one lane, and the closure bottlenecks nearby Alexanderana and Old Statesville roads.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said workers can close lanes as long as it’s not during the morning or afternoon rush.

“We have had lane closures, and it may just be that some weren't put into our system. Sometimes they come up pretty last minute,” NCDOT spokesman Rick Baucom said.

Drivers aren't the only ones affected. Ben and Vicki Griffith have lived on Browne Road for decades, and the I-485 extension will run through their back yard when it’s finished. The Griffiths said the state acquired 21 of their 25 acres through eminent domain.

“It’s progress, but I don't particularly like that kind of progress,” Vicki Griffith said.

The new stretch of I-485 will run nearly six miles and link I-77 to I-85. The project will take several years and cost $140 million to complete.