Rant & Raving

Fresh into 2009 and I finally gathered my first list of complaints. Here is my observation!


I'm driving down 485 on the way to work and it hit me like a brick. What freaking moron thought 485 South bound would be adequate with only two lanes? Seriously, what ding-dong would approve of this?

Lets start from the beginning. It was around the late 90's when this stretch of Interstate started being paved. Not the 50's, the LATE 1990's. My question is why would you build a two lane Interstate leading into the Ballantyne area and then to Interstate 77 which goes towards the city of Charlotte knowing there will be growth. These where and still are growing like wildfire and to top it off there are exit ramps and merge lanes every few miles of this stretch. Lets just say from Independence Blvd to South Tryon, 485 is a joke! That stretch is extremely busy. Even Interstate 77 is a parking lot going into Charlotte and it's what... 3-5 lanes wide?

The North bound lanes of 485 from Independence to Interstate 85 are all 3 lanes except for about 2 miles and on the South bound lane (the one I'm griping about), it goes to 3 lanes right after South Tryon (49). The areas that have been blessed with 3 lanes have a nice flow of traffic. There aren't too many merge or exit sections either.

See what I mean. You take an area that will be really heavy with traffic, there is merging and exiting traffic every few miles and we get 2 lanes. Freaking morons!

Most North Carolina folk are poor drivers (my opinion) anyway and God forbid some hot chick be stranded on the side of the road. People have to do that thing called the rubber neck and while they do it they slow down.

So there you have it! I realize there are crowded roads all over and around the city but this one section of 485 seems really crazy to me. Just to let yo know I've been on both sides of 485 during rush hour and where there is 3 lanes you have a nice flow but the section I'm talking about is pretty darn heavy. Surely they will pave another lane here shortly don't you think???

Yeah right! Don't hold your breath!