Land clearing for a project to improve connectivity for drivers is underway in Rutherford County.
“What's happening on Charlotte Road in Rutherfordton?” a viewer named Den wrote to Ask 13. “They have torn down the old Food Lion building that housed the VA clinic and are cutting down trees across the street."
A 5-mile highway is under construction from Roper Loop Road, near R-S Central High School, to Charlotte Road.
Crews with a contractor for the Department of Transportation started the project in February 2022.
One of the goals is to reduce travel time for drivers who use the U.S. 221 corridor near Rutherfordton. It's also part of a long-range goal to connect Interstate 40 to U.S. 74.
The new four-lane highway includes interchanges at U.S. 64 and Charlotte Road, plus a bridge on Green Street over the bypass. Crews will begin building the interchange structures later this summer.
You can read more about the project here.
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