By Kate Quesada

County staff held a ribbon cutting for the opening of the first phase of the newly widened Boyette Rd. last month, but Riverview residents traveling the busy road daily wonder what they are celebrating. The project, which has two phases left to complete, is now two years behind schedule and construction is causing huge delays and back-ups from Bell Shoals Rd. to U.S. Hwy. 301.

According to county public information manager Steve Valdez, the main cause for the delay is the increase in cost of the supplies and real estate needed for the widening.

"When we started construction we had all the funding we needed, but the timing was unfortunate and the cost for the real estate necessary for right of way went up significantly, 100 percent in some cases, and the construction costs increased much the same," says Valdez, who added that this increase meant having to go back to the county for more funding, which held the project up.

The project's original completion date was late 2005 and Valdez says that if the next two phases begin this spring as scheduled, the entire expansion should be completed by late 2007.

"Construction on phase two should start in late spring or early summer and take approximately one year to complete," explains Valdez. "We are expecting to work on phases two and three simultaneously, but there are still some right of way acquisitions needed for phase three, which includes the building of a bridge over a creek west of Bell Shoals."

Phase two will take the expansion from Balm Riverview Rd. to Donneymoor Dr. and phase three with complete the expansion to the start of Boyette Rd. at the intersection with Bell Shoals.

Valdez acknowledges that residents are frustrated with the construction, but claims it will be worth it when the widening is finished.

"Everybody please be patient," he says. "We are doing what we can and as we are maintaining full roadway operation throughout the construction it is taking longer than it would otherwise."