Proposed work on I-85 in Gaston County would involve widening the interstate from six to eight lanes between the U.S. 321 interchange Exit 17 (North Chester Street) in Gastonia and the N.C. 273 interchange Exit 27 (Beatty Drive) in Belmont. Additional improvements include upgrading interchanges and relocating and replacing bridges.
The proposed typical section (a section of a road that shows exactly what the road should look like after it is built) for I-85 is an eight-lane, median-divided freeway with 12-foot travel lanes and 14-foot outside paved shoulders (12-foot paved). The northbound and southbound lanes would be divided by a 27-foot median, which would include a 42-inch high concrete barrier and 12-foot minimum paved shoulders on either side of the barrier.
Auxiliary lanes are proposed on I-85 between the following interchanges:
- Exit 19 (East Ozark Avenue) and Exit 20 (New Hope Road)
- Exit 20 (New Hope Road) and Exit 21 (Cox Road)
- Exit 22 (South Main Street) and Exit 23 (McAdenville Road / Main Street)
- Exit 26 (Belmont Mount Holly Road) and Exit 27 (Beatty Drive)
There are eight interchanges within the project corridor, each with unique challenges and constraints that warrant a review of several design options. These design options would take into consideration the following:
- Benefits to traffic operations
- Construction
- Cost
- Environmental constraints
In addition to interchanges, there are six roadway bridges, four railroad bridges and the I-85 bridge over the South Fork Catawba River. Various design options are being evaluated at each of these locations.