Ahoskie supports NC 11 project

by Cal Bryant - November 15th, 2006 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

By a unanimous vote, members of the Ahoskie Town Council approved a resolution calling for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) to reprioritize, plan and fund a four-lane highway project on NC 11 between Ahoskie and Bethel.

Earlier, the Hertford County Board of Commissioners forwarded a letter to DOT calling for the prioritization of the NC 11 project. Meanwhile, the Windsor Board of Commissioners has thrown their support behind the US 13 four-lane project from Ahoskie to Windsor. The Bertie County Commissioners have discussed the issue, but have made no decision. They have appointed a committee to further study which route deserves to be at the top of the priority list.

The question that really needs to be answered is whether being a part of a North South corridor that includes Ahoskie, Windsor, Williamston, Washington and New Bern, or whether Ashoskie being linked to Greenville, will generate more business growth and job opportunity for our citizens.

The existing businesses in Ahoskie remind me of the existing businesses in Williamston with their exagerated opposition to 64 when it was planned as a freeway. Business in Williamston fought the freeway by-pass vigorously. Even though Williamston has grown dramatically since that time many of those business owners are still angry at the 64 bypass because it hurt their individual businesses. Freeways always help growth more than widening surface streets. The freeway helped Williamston a lot, by bringing in new competition for the existing local businesses. That is what they were afraid of all along.

I think that is the real question here. Whether the municipal and county authorities are arguing what is best for the Ashoskie area, or arguing what is best for their political contributors?

What do you think is their motivation?