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Volume 15, Number 6 • Feb. 6 to 12, 2015
New I-485 lanes look ready for drivers, but state says they’ll have to wait
The Ballantyne restaurant scene’s latest addition is Viva Chicken, a Peruvian dining experience you won’t want to miss. See Charles Jenkin’s full review on page 16.
Newly named superintendent addresses ‘state of schools’ by Courtney Schultz education@thecharlotteweekly.com
Newly appointed Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Ann Clark shared “moments” regarding the district’s strategic plan during the annual “State of Our Schools” on Jan. 29 at East Mecklenburg High School. Clark, in her first public appearance as CMS’s new leader, discussed in her address, “This is Our Moment,” how well the district has carried out “Strategic Plan 2018: For a Better Tomorrow,” which was developed in 2013
by former superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison, and how the district plans to continue executing the plan. “Education cannot be accomplished in a single day, single test or single year – it’s a lifelong journey,” Clark said. Clark discussed the continued increase in the district’s test scores, including gains in proficiency, ranging from nine to 18 points, an increased graduation rate that is higher than Wake County with more than half of the district’s high schools with a graduation rate higher than 90 percent and (see Ann Clark on page 12)
While the expansion of Interstate 485 has created some rush-hour relief on the southwestern part of the highway, extra lanes built by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to be opened well in the future have created unrest among some drivers. When NCDOT opened a lane on each side of I-485 between Interstate 77 and Rea Road in December 2014, it became clear to drivers that the department built twice that amount, with another lane saved for use as a toll lane that won’t open for at least another five years. The addition of the toll lane during the most recent expansion project saved the state $18 million, according to the
NCDOT, and prevented another construction slowdown in the near future. However, the sight of the fully finished lane, blocked off by traffic cones until it can be used as a toll lane, has disgruntled some drivers as they continue to sit in traffic during peak hours on weekdays. Union County resident Tim McCulla recently brought up the issue in an open letter to state officials, asking them to immediately open the lanes to resolve traffic issues that still plague the interstate. In the letter, addressed to N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory, U.S. Sens. Thom Thillis and Richard Burr, McCulla calls on state officials to open the completed lanes on I-485 and cancel future plans to make them toll lanes. “To leave that existing lane unused for (see I-485 on page 4)
Ryan Pitkin/SCW photo
by Ryan Pitkin ryan@thecharlotteweekly.com
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Scores, 8; Education, 12; Culinary, 16; Summer Camps, 18; Calendar, 22; Sports, 24; Classifieds, 27