I-485’s new directions good for fast-growing Steele Creek, Mecklenburg legislator says
A Mecklenburg County legislator says he checked off a big goal on his to-do list and achieved something Steele Creek residents wanted for years by changing what drivers see on Interstate 485.
The reflective green Exit 4 signs that once displayed “Fort Mill” now tells drivers they’re headed to Steele Creek Road.
N.C. House Democratic Whip Terry Brown Jr. led the effort to change the sign to eliminate confusion and inform travelers they are passing through or getting off in the Steele Creek community in North Carolina, not South Carolina where Fort Mill is located near the state border.
Though it’s just a few signs, Brown said the symbol has bigger meaning for Steele Creek.
“This is a big win for the community,” Brown said. “The people in Steele Creek take a lot of pride in their community and it may be a small gesture but having the exit sign actually reflect the community has generated a lot of conversation and excitement.”
Brown, who represents House District 92 in southern Mecklenburg County, where Steele Creek is, worked to change the sign after hearing the requests of business owners and residents who wanted clear directions to motorists to reflect an explosion of businesses and massive growth over the past several years.
“As Steele Creek continues to grow and become a larger economic hub and destination in our region it was important that the highway signs reflect that,” Brown told The Charlotte Observer. “It may have made some sense before Steele Creek grew into the community it has now but with the growth the area has experienced it is a much needed change.”
In 2000, only 25,000 people lived in Steele Creek, according to Census data compiled by its residents association. The 2020 Census shows the population tripled since then to more than 75,000. If the southwestern Mecklenburg community was an independent city, it would be one of the largest in the state, its residents association says.
Residential development has filled many areas around Steele Creek such as the South Tryon corridor, the Steele Creek Residents Association’s website says, but the community’s northern fringes closer to the Charlotte Douglas Airport are decreasing in population due to the airport’s planned expansion.
How does it work?
When Brown was first elected, he said his main transportation priorities were changing the interstate sign and expanding Highway 160.
Brown held community meetings with residents and said he included representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to ensure the decision makers were in the room.
In 2019, NCDOT released a replacement strategy to overhaul signs on state run roads. The report found all signs should have a minimum 15-year life span by using a different material that allows the signs to be reflective longer, in order to save the department money.
Brown saw this as an opportunity and remained in communication with NCDOT to ensure the Exit 4 signs on I-485 changed to Steele Creek.
“Often times the public doesn’t see the work our government agencies like NCDOT do or only hear about the bad,” Brown said.
All signs for Exit 4 on I-485 changed, but the next priority for Brown is still expanding Highway 160. NCDOT expressed plans for widening a 7-mile section of the highway, also known as Steele Creek Road, from the South Carolina line to I-485.
Changing a City of Charlotte sign
While NCDOT manages interstates like I-485 and U.S. highways, roads such as Stonewall Street or Park Avenue fall under the city’s jurisdiction.
That makes the process for changing a Charlotte street sign a bit different.
Citizens can request the name of a Charlotte street be changed if 75% of property owners on the street successfully petition the city for the change, according to the Charlotte DOT website.
There are rules for the name chosen: no duplicates, no longer than 21 letters, no offensive names, no business names and no punctuation, among them.
You can also report a damaged or missing street sign through the city’s website.
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
