Waxhaw is pressing ahead with a long‑anticipated overhaul of Broome Street, the busy NC‑16 corridor that cuts straight through downtown and has tested drivers’ patience for years. Town officials say the project will widen the road, add turn lanes and upgrade sidewalks to relieve an intersection that routinely backs up. The multi‑phase effort is expected to run into the late 2020s, with a projected wrap‑up around 2030.
Project scope and design
According to the Town of Waxhaw’s Master Transportation Plan, the plan would widen North Broome Street (NC‑16) from North Church Street to South Main Street (NC‑75) to a three‑lane cross section with a center turn lane and upgraded pedestrian facilities. Public procurement notices also call for preparing a PS&E package, short for plans, specifications and estimate, and building an eastbound left‑turn lane at the NC‑75 and NC‑16 intersection to set the stage for construction. Design work is expected to pin down right‑of‑way needs and utility relocations before heavy equipment moves into the downtown corridor.
Funding, quotes and schedule
As reported by The Charlotte Observer, Waxhaw has secured a roughly $3.26 million federal grant administered through NCDOT and is preparing a $990,000 local match to satisfy the program’s 20% requirement. The grant is about 80% reimbursable. Preliminary engineering began in January, and town staff told the paper they expect right‑of‑way acquisition to start in March 2027 as the project advances into later phases.
Bradley Lucore, a town official, described the downtown intersection to the paper as “a natural choke point,” and said residents are typically relieved when long‑promised traffic improvements finally arrive.
Safety and traffic
The town’s planning materials and Safety Action Plan flag the NC‑16 and NC‑75 junction as a recurring crash hot spot, which has helped move Broome Street to the top of the priority list. Those documents point to rising traffic volumes and growing safety concerns as Waxhaw’s population and regional commute patterns have expanded. Officials say the redesign is aimed at improving safety for drivers and pedestrians while smoothing traffic for commuters heading to nearby shopping centers and neighboring communities.
Next steps for the town
Commissioners are expected to allocate the local matching funds and set up a grant project fund to keep Broome Street improvement dollars together, town officials told The Charlotte Observer. The town plans to bring on consultants to complete PS&E work and coordinate right‑of‑way and utility efforts with NCDOT. Once construction is finished, the state will reimburse the town for the federal share, according to officials. If funding and permitting stay on track, major construction phases could begin later in the decade, with temporary traffic changes in the downtown area.
What drivers should expect
Town leaders say they will try to phase the work to limit disruptions for downtown businesses, although drivers should still expect lane shifts, work zones and altered traffic patterns during the busiest construction periods.
