CHARLOTTE — A busy east Charlotte intersection that causes headaches for drivers will soon see upgrades.
The intersection of Eastway Drive and Shamrock Drive is a daily issue for some drivers.
“Monday through Fridays is the worst. You’ve got the school buses, people rushing back and forth, people running the red lights,” said neighbor Marjorie Anderson.
The City of Charlotte is pledging $39 million dollars over the next five years to redesign the five-point intersection, with a goal of making it safer.
On Monday, city council unanimously approved a $1.3 million contract for improvements, including widening the roadways through the intersection to a complete realignment. The project aims to provide safer accommodations for people walking in the area.
Bike lanes will also be added as the intersection currently does not have any.
The money will come from voter-approved bonds.
Neighbor Rick Reese said driving becomes dangerous when people are trying to share the road.
“There’s a lot of accidents over here in this area,” Reese said.
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Just last week, a crash at that intersection knocked out power for hundreds of homes after a car hit a utility pole.
According to Traffic Team 9′s Mark Taylor, the number of people who use the intersection is growing, which leads to crashes.
“More than 28,000 people drive through that intersection every day. So some improvements would help. If it’s not a daily occurrence, it’s certainly a weekly one,” Taylor said.
The latest numbers provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation show there have been 157 crashes just at this intersection alone in a five-year period.
Now that city council has approved the contract for the improvements, the design work could start next spring.
Anderson hopes the process is quick.
“Then you’ve got construction on top of it,” Anderson said. “You probably need a police officer to stand by, especially in this area.”
The project leaders plan to host one public meeting to get community input.
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