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The lead story in last Sunday’s paper should be a wake-up call about the work the North Carolina Department of Transportation is doing and continues to do in Polk County as well as the rest of the state.

 

I had the unfortunate experience of driving to Boiling Springs the other day. I will not return unless absolutely necessary. The town could be “Anywhere USA,” courtesy of all the road widenings and chain stores that have followed it.

 

Currently, the stretch of road from Columbus to Mill Spring is a fairly verdant and pleasant jaunt with a view of the mountains in the distance. Property and business owners along the route have been owners for many years and care for what they own. Further, and most importantly, there is little traffic to warrant changes to the road.

 

Most DOTs are good at what they do when they do it, meaning repairing and replacing aging roadways. When they stray from this mission chaos follows. One only has to look at other work that has been performed by the NCDOT to understand that often what is done is nothing more than busy work to keep them and their minions in business.

 

All of us should be up in arms about this as well as other work the NCDOT continues to perform in the state. I call for a forensic analysis of this department from top to bottom to find out what continues to drive (no pun intended) their “mission.”

 

Beth A. Kinster

Tryon