CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Millions of tax dollars are spent each year to maintain major roadways, but there are questions if enough is being done to keep major roadways safe.
Channel 9’s Paul Boyd drove Charlotte’s major interstates and discovered old and shredded tires, front end grills, metal piping, picture frames, large debris from car accidents and mattresses along the roadways. He saw a bed mattress at an entrance to I-77, dangerously close to traffic, as moments later a school bus drove by.
Channel 9 also saw drivers who were forced to slam their brakes as hundreds of white bags fell from a truck and float all across the interstate. Drivers are fed up.
"It doesn't just look bad for the city, but also, it's dangerous for driving. So it needs to be cleaned up,” Mose Smith said.
(Click PLAY to see large debris Channel 9 found on Charlotte interstates)
North Carolina's Department of Transportation is the first to admit there's a problem with trash and debris on major interstates around Charlotte.
NCDOT officials said they struggle to keep up with road debris with over 1,000 miles of lanes to maintain.
“It's a challenge every day,” said NCDOT spokesperson Jen Thompson. “We are doing certainly our part to maintain the roads and keep the roadways clear and their appearance up as much as possible with the resource we have.”
The NCDOT said crews conduct sweeps every week but admitted that large debris pick-up only happens every other week, unless there is an immediate safety risk.
NCDOT officials said they would welcome additional funding, and there is additional funding proposed in the current budget.
Although the proposed funding increased is still being negotiated, the Department of Transportation said there is more the public can do to help. The public can report dangerous road debris around Charlotte by notifying Highway Safety Patrol by dialing *HP on their cellphone and let police know the location of the debris.
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