Local

No design changes for I-85/ I-77 interchange, official says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Corey Dawkins drives one of the many tractor-trailers that passes through the interchange at Interstates 77 and 85 each day.

"This one particular turn is a nasty turn," Dawkins said.

In 2014, the North Carolina Department of Transportation estimated about 170,000 vehicles went through the interchange every day, and those are the most recent numbers.

Those numbers most likely have increased over the past three years.

NCDOT officials told Channel 9 Monday there are no plans for major improvements to that interchange in the next five to 10 years.

"We're not seeing anything design wise that's going to change in the coming years," NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Thompson said.

Last Thursday, a tractor-trailer hauling plastic pellets overturned and was there for hours during the morning commute.

Two people were hospitalized.

On Sunday, a truck carrying watermelons tipped over.

Crews had to collect the fruit by hand and that also took hours to clean up.

Both crashes were on the ramp from I-85 North to I-77 North.

NCDOT officials insist that over the past few years, they've done everything they can to make the interchange safer. Changes have included signage with flashing lights and signs telling drivers to slow down.

During I-77 toll construction, officials said there will be new toll express lanes at the interchange. The existing interchange will be resurfaced, but not reconfigured.

"It's mainly a cost limitation," Thompson said.

For now, officials are reminding drivers to slow down.

Channel 9 has covered many crashes over the years at the interchange of I-77 and I-85. We asked transportation officials for exact numbers of crashes there. They said they're working on that request.