Deja vu all over again?

Remember the Mayfaire/Military Cutoff bottleneck? Get ready to relive those painful memories of gridlock again - this time on Gordon Road - if a developer's plan comes to fruition. Worse news: There's little anyone can to do stop it.

And don't look for a four-lane solution at the end of that long traffic jam. Thanks to a shortage of money, the N.C. Department of Transportation has put off widening Gordon Road. It might get around to adding a central lane the entire length of the road in the next couple of years. Or maybe not.

Meanwhile, a High Point development company wants to build a huge commercial and residential development not far from the Gordon Road/I-40 intersection. A supermarket, a hotel or two and more than 400 apartments are part of the package.

Not much can be done to stop the development outright; the land is already zoned for commercial and institutional uses. But this is another example of poor planning and very bad timing.

When the county commissioners rezoned the formerly residential property a few years ago, the road was already busy. It's been targeted for widening for years.

Once sparsely traveled, it now carries so many cars that bumper-to-bumper traffic is common during rush hours and when Eaton Elementary School is letting out for the day. And, of course, on the weekends during strawberry and blueberry season, when a deputy directs traffic in and out of Lewis Farms.

At the other end, closer to the proposed commercial complex, is a dual intersection with I-40 and, not far beyond, North College Road.

Whether commercial or residential, the impact on traffic from such a large development will be considerable. Environmental concerns also must be considered because the site backs up to Smith Creek, which county planners have targeted in an effort to improve its water quality.

The DOT could, and should, require the developer to make significant improvements to Gordon Road to compensate for the added traffic. Those measures should include widening and turning lanes.

The area no longer is zoned for residential use, so the county commissioners, if they were so inclined, could nix the apartments. But the result might be more commercial development.

The county should work with state transportation and environmental officials to ensure that whatever happens, motorists, nearby residents and Smith Creek don't pay too high a price for growth.