Why aren't narrow stretches of I-95 being widened?
LUMBERTON, North Carolina (WTVD) -- If you've ever traveled the stretch of Interstate 95 where Tuesday's deadly accident happened in Robeson County, you know it's narrow.
And many find it in need of - not just repair - but a complete overhaul.
And other sections of I-95 are the same in North Carolina.
RELATED: 4 family members among 5 killed in I-95 crash
But after a day of digging, the I-Team can report that an overhaul that includes widening 95 is not even close to happening.
It's all about money.
The state has a formula for what road projects get funded.
But no project can cost more than 10 percent of the overall budget.
Widening 95 would shatter that cap, and state officials tell us that has stopped the state cold in its efforts to widen 95.
Instead, the state is doing a host of smaller projects, such as raising bridges, resurfacing roads, and laying down new markings.
On Tuesday afternoon, workers were laying down new reflectors on that ill-fated stretch of 95, the workzone itself, slowly moving south along the interstate.
The wreck happened as traffic was slowing before that workzone.
As for widening the interstate, there's a chance President Donald Trump's billion-and-a-half-dollar infrastructure proposal could jumpstart the process.
But state officials say there's been no discussion about that so far.
