This should help I-77 traffic: A bridge that looks like a sailboat

The Story

In January, the town of Cornelius will erect 42-foot-high steel cables over Exit 28 to resemble two sails soaring over Interstate 77.

The Facts

– If you’ve driven up 77, you’ve seen the massive construction at Exit 28 as the state has built a very complicated diverging diamond interchange. It’s been a pain.

– But now, it’s done! Except for this piece de resistance, a play on nearby Lake Norman.

– Town officials hope this will lure thousands of would-be shoppers to the business district.

– Shop owners say it can’t come too soon — the months and months of diverging diamond construction has hit their bottom line very hard.

– Blythe Construction of Charlotte is the general contractor on the $6.2mil divergent diamond project.

Quotes

– “I don’t think there’s any bridge on any interstate that will look as spectacular as this bridge is going to look.” — Bill Russell, president of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce

– “It may be pretty. How much is the toll to ride that imaginary ferry boat?” – CharlotteObserver.com commenter

– “There are already people who slow down to “gawk” at the topless sunbathers on the causeway over Lake Norman during the summer. WHY would you want traffic slowed at exit 28 too?” – CharlotteObserver.com commenter

C5’s Take

Better a bridge that looks like a sailboat than a topless sunbather on a boat. Either way, we hate the traffic slowdown. But yes, we look, too.

 Photo: Town of Cornelius

This story was originally published December 1, 2014 at 6:08 AM with the headline "This should help I-77 traffic: A bridge that looks like a sailboat."