We spent an extra $500,000 getting the airport finished in time for the NHL All-Star game this weekend, yet the I-440 Beltline – Raleigh’s welcome mat – could fill dump trucks with the trash it has on it.

Apologies to the folks in town for hockey. Trust us, we do clean up nicely whenever we get around to it.

First impressions are tremendously important, and the new airport space with its light and openness, not to mention the subtle influences of North Carolina, will show travelers the forward thinking and design sensitivity of the Triangle. The thousands of hockey fans descending on the RBC Center for the NHL All-Star game will be impressed, so the expense of speeding the conclusion of the job was money well-spent.

Given the positive impressions that arrival will create, I can only hope that the sun will have set before most visitors make the drive into town from the airport. The litter-strewn highways of the area are a mess, in stark contrast to the new terminal.

via Make it a goal: cleaner roadsides – Other Views – NewsObserver.com.