Improvements to be made to make busy Gaston County road safer

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Gaston County road neighbors call dangerous is finally getting some improvements.

Channel 9 has investigated collisions on Dallas Cherryville Highway for years.

On Tuesday, a Gaston County deputy was involved in a crash there.

The busy, two-lane road, with speed limit of 55 mph, has a reputation for countless accidents.

"I actually had a friend pass away on that road,” driver Breanna Gibson said.

"You just pull out on Cherryville Highway and there's been several accidents,” driver Andrew Caldwell said.

Plans are in the works to enhance the major thoroughfare for Gaston County.

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The North Carolina Department of Transportation is funding improvements to more than 8 miles of Dallas Cherryville Highway, widening it to create passing zones in specific locations and make it safer to get around slower-moving traffic.

The project is expected to cost nearly $16 million and is aiming to make the stretch between Dallas and Cherryville a little safer.

Officials said four areas will get extra lanes to make passing zones and parts of Dallas Cherryville will get re-paved.

"A little bit safer driving, because I have two kids, so that does play a part,” Gibson said.

The Gaston County road is known for its numerous wrecks, including one just last week involving a Gaston County sheriff's deputy whose cruiser was hit by a turning pickup truck.

Chad Brown, a Gaston County commissioner, says the changes should help keep drivers more alert and reduce the chances of careless accidents.

"There's nothing in between there besides residential and rural, and with that, people may (get) a little lax in their concentration,” Brown said.

Brown said that in addition to safety, the change will also help meet the area's growing demands.

"We do have the percentages of population moving to Gaston County, so we're really needing some relief,” he said.

Brown said there's no timeline for when the expansion project should be complete.

He said they're hopeful good weather in 2019 will help move the construction project along. The project is one of nine state highway and bridge projects to which NCDOT awarded grants.

With the lane expansion, the hope is to help alleviate traffic congestion from Bessemer City to Gastonia.

Speeding remains a lingering concern for some drivers.

"A new year, new growth, so I look forward to seeing the changes," driver Catherine Currence said.

NCDOT said the contractor must complete roadwork by November 2020.

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