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CHARLOTTE – The community has until the end of the week to share its opinion on a controversial proposed toll road. The 20-mile toll road is planned to start at Interstate 485 in west Charlotte, run through southern Gaston County and connect to Interstate 85 in western Gastonia.

The addition is expected to reduce traffic and shorten the drive of some Gastonia commuters, but opponents say money shouldn’t be spent on a new road when it could be used for widening I-85.

Monday night, protestors of the Garden Parkway, as the project is known, gathered outside Belmont City Hall. A group has organized in the area and presented a petition with more than 7,000 names to encourage Belmont’s city council to oppose the project.

Six public meetings have been held in Gastonia, Belmont and Charlotte regarding the issue. Supporters say the Garden Parkway will shorten the commute of people who travel in the area and alleviate congestion throughout Gaston County for other drivers.

According to the N.C. Turnpike Authority, a Gaston County metropolitan planning group came up with plans for the project back in 1990. Officials estimate the project’s cost to come in around $910 million.

A final decision on the route will be made by late 2010. A deadline for public input is posted on the N.C. Turnpike Authority’s Web site as July 21.

Those with questions regarding the project can call the hotline at 1-800-475-6402 or e-mail gaston@ncturnpike.org.