Clayton Bypass: Friend to drivers, foe to businesses?
Drivers love the new shortcut around Clayton. However, some businesses want the congestion to return.
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The 70 Bypass is a little more than 1 month old. It links Interstate 40 to U.S. 70 in Johnston County and diverts thousands of cars a day around the town of Clayton.
When the Bypass opened, Highway 70 through Clayton became designated as Business 70.
“I don’t necessarily blame it on the Bypass. I think it has more to do with our economy and the price of gas, and that sort of thing,” said Colleen Walters, who works at Venero’s Pizza.
Residents WRAL spoke with said they enjoy the reduced traffic through Clayton and that they are able to get around town much quicker.
Officials with Clayton's Chamber of Commerce say 70 Business could be home to several big projects. They declined to go into details since plans are still in the works.
The Bypass is 10.7 miles long and cost $123 million. Construction began in June 2005, and it opened a year ahead of schedule on June 9. Officials said it's expected to carry 85,000 cars a day by 2025.
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