About the Parkway
The Garden Parkway is a planned toll road approximately 21.9 miles from I-85 west of Gastonia in Gaston County to I-485 at NC 160 in Mecklenburg County.
The initial construction would include:
- 4 lane roadway with a new crossing over the Catawba & South Fork Rivers to US 321
- 2 lane roadway within a 4 lane right-of-way between US 321 and I-85
- 10 interchanges
The project will cost approximately $930 million to build
- Funded using a combination of sources with the majority of funding coming from the sale of toll revenue bonds
- Once the debt is repaid using the toll revenue over a 30-40 year period, the tolls would be removed
STUDY:
A recent study by economist and UNC Charlotte professor John Connaughton indicates that construction of the Garden Parkway will result in substantial growth for Gaston County.
Currently, high volume access to Gaston County is only possible via I-85 and NC 74. Study results indicate adding to that access via the Garden Parkway could result in a significant increase in jobs and households for Gaston County in the long term.
The study predicts an estimated additional 18,000 jobs in Gaston County by 2035 with the construction of the Parkway.
Gaston County has lagged behind the region in job growth for over 3 decades.
There has not been any growth; the numbers have declined in that time frame.





