Clayton bypass is not a miracle cure for I-40 headaches
Rush-hour congestion may have brought a little indigestion Tuesday morning for drivers who thought the opening of the Clayton Bypass in Johnston County would make their morning commute a breeze.
Posted — UpdatedTraffic still crawled because, as the state Department of Transportation explained, the bypass is no fix for a heavily used Interstate 40.
Westbound delays began just past Highway 42 and continued beyond the bypass.
That does not, however, mean the $123 million bypass, which is expected to speed thousands of vehicles around the town of Clayton every day, is not a success.
DOT says the bypass is intended to ease congestion on U.S. 70, not the interstate, and to give drivers better information about their commutes so they can decide what routes to take.
“We now can actually give you information to make a better decision. You can see how long it will take you to get to mile marker 306 whether you use the Clayton bypass or use U.S. 70 business,” said Kelly Damron, a DOT operations engineer.
Another added, "It shows a total lack of planning and very little intelligence on the part of those that put it together."
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