Friday's Internet Edition, September 05, 2008.
shock
DOT’s estimate for medians floors board
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The Clemmons Courier - The Clemmons village council’s plan to widen Lewisville-Clemmons Road and install a median received a $58 million to $153 million setback Monday.
Stunned council members recoiled at the price tags — estimates in a N.C. Department of Transportation report long awaited by the council.
Separately, the council was told its request to improve the intersection of Lewisville-Clemmons and Ramada Drive had not made the construction schedule for 2009.
It was the DOT report, however, that steamed board members.
The 10-page report was six years coming, and council members said they weren’t impressed by the DOT’s thoroughness or the timeliness.
Village manager Gary Looper said he was expecting a report several inches thick. Instead, the board got a short summary of seven options for dealing with traffic on Lewisville-Clemmons between U.S. 158 and Peace Haven Road. The choices included a mix of options for widening the highway to six or even eight lanes and installing medians.
The village would have to foot much of the bill, and Mayor John Bost said none of them were affordable.
The board has until Sept. 23 to reply to the Department of Transportation.
“We just received this late Friday,” Looper said. “It produces a lot of questions I can’t answer.”