"Bypass in Elizabeth City"

It seems that the end is finally near for the grand opening of the I-17 Bypass.

We've been waiting for what seems like a year now, but I read recently that the grand opening is scheduled for October 14th, 2002. It's going to be so nice not having to go all the way into Elizabeth City on trips to Virginia soon.

I've been making the drive for somewhere around 20 years or so now. My parents had moved here when my children were all small. I used to bring the kids on the weekends to visit them. About six years ago I relocated here myself.

There are quite a few times that it's nice to pick up things in Elizabeth City on the drive back and forth. But there are other times when it's really a pain having to stop at all the traffic lights going through town at 45 miles per hour. When you can even get up to that speed before the next light changes.

Oh well! I for one am going to be happy to see the new bypass in place and keeping the traffic flowing smoothly. Now if Virginia will only pick up their side of I-17 and get rid of that 2 lane area that runs next to the Dismal Swamp, we'll really have a nice drive for the commute.

Note:This bypass actually opened around the 4th of December 2002, but was expected much before that time.