Charlotte is finally putting serious money behind a headache SouthPark drivers have complained about for years: the sharp bend on Sharon Road near Eastburn Road that has turned front yards into unofficial runaway truck ramps. The city plans to spend roughly $3.5 million to reshape the notorious curve, a four-lane arterial locals say invites speeding and sends cars skidding into yards, stop signs and telephone poles. The fix is designed to calm traffic with realignment, lane changes and pedestrian upgrades.
According to the City of Charlotte, the Sharon Road at Eastburn Road Improvements project carries a $3.5 million budget and will add a dedicated left-turn lane from Sharon onto Eastburn while removing the roadway's superelevation to flatten the curve. The work is part of the city's Mitigate Congestion program. Officials say four contractor bids came in on Feb. 20, with construction expected to begin in mid-2026, pending the normal contract award process.
Neighbors say the dangerous reputation is well earned, with cars regularly leaving the pavement and slamming into signs, poles and lawns. Sarah Plott, who lives in the Beverly Woods neighborhood, told Queen City News she sees chronic congestion and speeding in the curve and worries collisions are all but inevitable. Other residents say they sometimes dodge Sharon Road altogether because turning at peak times feels like a full-contact sport.
Local TV crews have been tracking the neighborhood's pressure campaign. WBTV reported that city records show 21 crashes at the Brookfield Drive intersection with Sharon Road over the past five years, and residents have repeatedly petitioned council members for more signals or other controls. The station also highlighted nearby safety work, including a pedestrian hybrid beacon at Sulkirk Road, which the city says is meant to improve conditions for people on foot and behind the wheel.
Project Scope and Timeline
City planning documents describe the Sharon-Eastburn job as a lane realignment project that will "realign traffic lanes, add a left-turn lane from Sharon Road on to Eastburn Road, and flatten the roadway surface," language that appears in City of Charlotte materials. The work is slotted into the city's capital delivery schedule with an estimated completion in Q4 2027, according to the General Capital Investment Plan. Taken together, the documents point to roadway profile changes, additional turn-lane storage and pedestrian improvements under the broader Mitigate Congestion program.
Neighbors' Safety Concerns and Trade-offs
Not everyone in SouthPark is sold on the idea that smoothing things out will automatically make Sharon safer. Hilary Larsen, chair of the SouthPark Association of Neighborhoods, told Queen City News she worries that flattening and smoothing the curve could actually invite even higher speeds and might increase crash risk if enforcement does not keep up. Residents also point to a nearby daycare and retirement community that generate frequent turning movements and delays, complicating the design choices at the already busy intersection.
The city says it has received bids and will award construction to the lowest responsible bidder. Work is slated to start later this year, with rolling lane closures and temporary detours likely as crews carve into the curve. If the schedule holds, the capital plan's Q4 2027 delivery window suggests the corridor may be a work zone through much of next year.
