RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Crews this week will continue to work to repair a ruptured water line and pavement on Glenwood Avenue near the Interstate 440 interchange.
The very busy stretch of road had been the focus for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which targeted the area for an improvement project.
There were several meetings and concepts to improve the area and then nothing.
RELATED: Glenwood Avenue water main break a sign of aging infrastructure in Raleigh
On an average day, the NCDOT said about 75,000 vehicles come through the stretch of Glenwood here the water main broke. It’s one of the busiest roads in Raleigh.
“Crazy, crazy, it’s always crazy down there,” said Caren Decesaris, a Raleigh driver.
“It’s always traffic or accident or something stopping you from getting home on time,” said Shenekia Smallwood, who also drives in Raleigh.
Monday’s broken water main is another reminder of that.
“A lot of people use that road,” Cindy Hiller, a Raleigh driver said.
Back in 2018, NCDOT announced changes were in the works. Not only to Glenwood Avenue but also Lead Mine Road and Blue Ridge Road. They held several well-attended listening sessions.
RELATED: NCDOT plans for I-440 by Crabtree Valley Mall met with opposition
Then in June of 2019, state officials presented seven different concepts to the public. The focus was on increasing safety and easing congestion.
Then nothing happened.
CBS 17 reached out to the NCDOT to find out why.
“In the last couple of years the department has been hit hard with responding to hurricanes and then we had map act settlements that weren’t included in our budget,” said Marty Homan, a spokesman for the NCDOT.
He explained the COVID-19 pandemic presents yet another challenge.
The project is no longer in the 10-year plan. Homan said the earliest work would begin is in 2029.
“Almost all projects have been pushed out a couple of years, including this one. So it’s not a case of another project moving ahead of this one,” Homan said.
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