Earnhardt may be honored: Kannapolis City [NC] Council will consider a proposal Monday to rename one of the city’s major thoroughfares Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. The current one-mile stretch of Dale Earnhardt Boulevard connects to Centergrove Road. The proposal would change the names of Centergrove, Loop and Jackson Park roads as well as Lane Street to make a longer Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, which would loop around the main part of Kannapolis. The proposed boulevard would also connect twice to Interstate 85. If council adopts the proposal, the suggested roadway would then be considered by the N.C. Department of Transportation for final approval. Assistant City Manager Mike Legg said DOT officials seem to be receptive to using one name for Centergrove and South Loop roads. He said state officials, however, are hesitant about continuing the boulevard at the point where North and South Loop Road meet at the West C Street intersection. Local officials could also consider only renaming Centergrove and South Loop Roads as part of a compromise with DOT. Legg said the biggest benefit to having a longer boulevard would be the change from using at least three different names to one name for the roadway. He said the renaming would fit in with the Dale Earnhardt Tribute. Legg also said being located on a road with such name recognition could be good for businesses in that area.(Independent Tribune)(7-7-2002) UPDATE: The Intimidator’s reach on his hometown could soon extend farther. The Kannapolis City Council voted 6-1 Monday to push to change the names of two more roads to “Dale Earnhardt Boulevard,” adding three miles to the existing 0.9-mile stretch. It will be up to the N.C. Board of Transportation and its road-naming committee to decide whether to change the name. Earnhardt, who won 76 Winston Cup races, was born and reared in Kannapolis. He died in a wreck on the last lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. Under the council’s plan, Centergrove Road and South Loop Road would be renamed Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. The existing stretch extends west from Interstate 85. Multiple names for the route into downtown have created confusion for tour-bus drivers and others, said City Manager Mike Mahaney. Officials also hope to help create a sense of identity for the city. City Council member Richard Anderson, the sole opponent, argued the change was being done to benefit the privately owned Cannon Village. City officials’ initial proposal had also included North Loop and Jackson Park roads and Lane Street to the route — creating a loop around the city. Officials say those segments may be considered later. However, the city’s fire and police chiefs and the N.C. Department of Transportation traffic engineer expressed concerns because including those three thoroughfares could have caused confusion at some intersections. Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, for example, would have crossed U.S. 29, Main Street and Ridge Avenue in two different places each. Anderson and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Misenheimer said the council should have held a public hearing on the renaming issue. DOT spokesman Bill Jones agreed, saying the N.C. Board of Transportation wants local governments to get public feedback. Jones said the board uses the feedback to judge public support, Jones said. The changes backed by the City Council would affect more than 48 homes and 41 businesses, according to city figures. Jackson Park Road and Lane Street, which were left out of the proposal, have 176 homes.(Charlotte Observer/ThatsRacin.com)(7-11-2002)
