Just updating y’all again on the progress of the project to fix Malfunction Junction (yes, Bud, I know DOT calls it the Carolina Crossroads Project, but I’m just trying to describe it in a way most will understand).
This is taken from my old pickup on the access road I take into my mother’s subdivision (McSwain Drive). Every time I take her somewhere by this route, she notes how uncomfortable it makes her now that work on this part of the project is finally taking visible shape. My wife says the same. I agree with both of them, but what are you gonna do?
For a long time in earlier stages of the project, we couldn’t see exactly how close the widened interstate would be to the access road, and how little barrier there would be between us. At this point that I’m showing, there’s almost NO barrier to prevent a car on the access road running off (easy to do on a dark night) and straight downhill into oncoming 70-mph traffic. Or vice versa. I mean, there’s a very low barrier that promises to damage your car a bit before rolling over it and straight to utter destruction.
It’s disturbing, even in broad daylight — or perhaps especially in broad daylight, when you can see more clearly what is happening — to drive out of a quiet subdivision, and suddenly be confronted with all this freeway traffic coming more or less right at you. (And for an acrophobe like me, it would be uncomfortable even without the traffic. Don’t get me started on how I hate riding through mountains.)
You can see that up ahead, there is a concrete barrier, not that it’s all that soothing to see. And there’s one behind me, as well. But right here… well, I’m waiting to see what they’ll do to make it safer, and also inspire confidence — especially for someone who isn’t expecting to suddenly face this vista…
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