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Nearly 1,800 crashes reported in I-77 construction zone since work began

By John Paul, wsoctv.com
By John Paul, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hardly a day goes by that there isn't a crash in the construction zone on I-77.

The work began nearly two years ago, and the number of crashes in that time is staggering.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there have been 1,785 crashes on that 26-mile stretch. That’s a whopping 55 percent increase from the period before construction.

[READ: I-77 Express Lane Work Zone Comparison]

"The state needs to do a better job of managing these construction sites," North Carolina state Sen. Jeff Tarte said.

Tarte said constant lane shifts, poor road markings, and high speeds are reasons for the spike.

Channel 9's past coverage on I-77 construction zone issues:

But something else caught his eye in this report. Two other construction zones in the state saw huge spikes as well.

A 57 percent jump on I-40 in Wake County. And a 98 percent jump on I-40 in Raleigh.

Tarte said this points to problems with the state itself.

"Pardon the language, but we suck at managing construction sites on interstates," Tarte said. "We're putting people's lives at risks. And we're sure damaging heck of a lot of property."

The Division 10 engineer Scott Cole takes issue with that assessment. He said the state meets or exceeds national standards.

"We are extremely concerned about safety. We take extensive steps to ensure we are keeping our work zones as safe as possible," Cole said.

Some are calling for even lower speed limits in that area and Senator Tarte agrees. He plans to talk to the state about reducing the speed limit because he said something has to change on these lanes.

"Doesn't seem to be working whatever they're doing. Obviously, we're having way too many accidents across the state in our interstate construction areas," Tarte said.

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