Construction to begin on Billy Graham Parkway streetlights after monthslong delay

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Billy Graham Parkway was scheduled to get brighter by August of this year, and many drivers have complained to Channel 9 that the roadway is too dark.

“Probably around where you get off at Tyvola, it’s a curve and there’s no lights, and you can’t maneuver to the right like you should or change lanes,” driver Patsy Rushing said. “That’s a real problem.”

The Charlotte City Council unanimously approved a $1.9 million contract in February to put streetlights on the busy west Charlotte road. The contract allows for 359 decorative streetlights along the Billy Graham Parkway.

It is the oldest thoroughfare within city limits without streetlights.

Since 2014, there have been nine deaths; five people have been seriously injured and 51 minor crashes on the 5.5-mile stretch.

Officials said eight of the deadly crashes happened at night or early in the morning.

CDOT Engineering Project Manager Anthony Mendez said several things factored into the delay.

“While submitted for the permitting with the FAA, we experienced some delays for 15 poles that they flagged, obviously being this close to the airport,” Mendez said.

Crash shuts down majority of I-85 near Billy Graham Parkway Crash shuts down majority of I-85 near Billy Graham Parkway

Mendez said the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the delay. It took the FAA three-months to sign off on the project.

He said now, they can finally get to work.

“It remains the oldest thoroughfare in the city that doesn’t have streetlights currently,” Mendez said. “We strongly believe this will create a safer corridor just for all motorists and users. This is the longest total stretch we’ve done. We’ve done pieces of Brookshire, pieces of WT Harris, but none of them that include the 5.5 miles of Billy Graham is. This is going to be a big project. It’s going to change the way that corridor looks and feels for all users. We’re still exciting that it’s coming.”

The city hopes to minimize the impact to drivers and traffic during construction. They initially wanted to have the entire project completed by the Republican National Convention this August.

Duke Energy recently started the ground work on the project closer to I-85 and the preliminary construction installing the lights starts this week. CDOT hopes by early next year, the street lights will be up.

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