Washington, Jul 2, 2007 -

Congressman Patrick McHenry and Senator Elizabeth Dole issued a letter last Friday to Governor Mike Easley, requesting that he direct North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett to clarify his position on keeping Conover’s Exit 131 open. According to current law, only the North Carolina Department of Transportation can legally petition the Federal Highway Administration to alter state transportation projects. Without the department’s participation, it is inevitable that Exit 131 will be closed.

“As we understand,” said McHenry and Dole in the letter, “it is critical this interchange remains functional as it provides for economic development, reduces emergency response times, and improves transportation options in this region.”

Their letter includes a quote from a recent Hickory Daily Record article that said, “The looming shutdown of the Interstate 40 ramps at Exit 131 is causing more than just headaches for businesses along N.C. 16. City officials say citizens living [off Exit 131] may see emergency aide delayed by as much as four minutes.”

According to McHenry and Dole, “Four minutes can be extremely valuable during a medical emergency.”

The letter concluded by identifying the harmful effects of closing Exit 131. “The closure of this interchange would force the citizens of Conover and the surrounding area to forfeit an essential component of their transportation infrastructure, would diminish the groundwork for future economic development and would eliminate vital roadways for emergency response,” added McHenry and Dole.

McHenry sponsored an amendment to the House Transportations Appropriations Bill of 2006, which would prohibit the use of federal funds to demolish the interchange. The amendment passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but the Senate failed to bring up a vote on the bill last year.

Please see below the letter issued to Governor Easley on Friday, June 29.

June 29, 2007

The Honorable Mike Easley
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

Dear Governor Easley:

We write to you regarding the closure of Exit 131 in Conover. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the responsibility of obtaining a waiver to keep the exit open rests solely with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Therefore, we respectfully request that you direct Lyndo Tippitt, Secretary of the NCDOT, to clarify his position on keeping the interchange open. If it is Secretary Tippitt’s position that the Conover’s Exit 131 should remain open, we request that NCDOT formally and fully petition the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for a waiver that will keep it operational. Without the NCDOT’s participation, it is inevitable that Exit 131 will be closed.

As we understand, it is critical this interchange remains functional as it provides for economic development, reduces emergency response times, and improves transportation options in this region. Many individuals commute from outside of Catawba County and rely on this interchange for easy travel to and from their places of employment. In addition, there are numerous businesses that depend on the resulting traffic to produce a substantial number of their patrons. Exit 131 provides direct access to a portion of Conover that has grown tremendously since the planning stages to relocate N.C. 16. We have heard from local business owners, community leaders and elected officials that closing the exit would not only harm existing businesses in the area, it would also hinder future development and growth.

Besides a prevailing lack of accidents at this exit, local law enforcement officials and first responders believe that closing this ramp will lead to an increase in emergency response times and divert traffic into residential neighborhoods. As the Hickory Daily Record reported on June 17, 2007: "The looming shutdown of the Interstate 40 ramps at Exit 131 is causing more than just headaches for businesses along N.C. 16. City officials say citizens living [off Exit 131] may see emergency aide delayed by as much as four minutes." Four minutes can be extremely valuable during a medical emergency.

Again, we request that the NCDOT make clear its position regarding the eminent closure of Exit 131, and expeditiously petition the FHWA for a waiver if that position is to keep it open. The closure of this interchange would force the citizens of Conover and the surrounding area to forfeit an essential component of their transportation infrastructure, would diminish the groundwork for future economic development and would eliminate vital roadways for emergency response.

Sincerely,

                                     _________________                                ________________

                                    Congressman Patrick McHenry                Senator Elizabeth Dole

Cc: The Honorable Lyndo Tippett, Secretary of Transportation