From the Rolling Stones to the Beach


Raleigh – Two big summer events this week – The Rolling Stones concert and Fourth of July – will mean more drivers on area roadways, including the Fortify I-40/I-440 work zone in Raleigh where crews are shifting lanes in advance of construction on an 8.5-mile stretch of I-40.

Nearly 40,000 fans will converge on Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Wednesday, July 1, to see the iconic rock band. To help drivers know before they go, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol are working to get the word out ahead of the show.

“We are anticipating this venue will attract a large number of attendees,” Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker said.  “Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early and plan ahead for traffic delays. By doing so, each person can assist us with our primary goal of guaranteeing an enjoyable and safe event.”

Starting Friday night, there will be several message boards along area roads notifying motorists of Wednesday’s concert. On the day of the show, the message boards will alert drivers of the best ways to get to the show without having to drive through the Fortify work zone.  Each sign will have an alternate message, should traffic back up on the suggested route.

Drivers traveling through the Fortify work zone on I-40 West, at mile marker 294, for example, will be notified to take Exit 293-B to I-440 East to Exit 3 (Hillsborough Street) to Blue Ridge Road. In case of congestion on that route, drivers would take Exit 290 (N.C. 54 East) to Edwards Mill Road to Trinity Road.

Drivers traveling through the Fortify work zone on I-40 West, at mile marker 294, for example, will be notified to take Exit 293-B to I-440 East to Exit 3 (Hillsborough Street) to Blue Ridge Road. In case of congestion on that route, drivers would take Exit 290 (N.C. 54 East) to Edwards Mill Road to Trinity Road.

Other routes that the Highway Patrol suggests:

• Drivers headed on I-440 West can take Exit 4-B (Wade Avenue) to Blue Ridge Road to Westchase Boulevard.
• From I-495 South, drivers can take Exit 419 (I-440 West) to Wade Avenue to Blue Ridge Road to Westchase Boulevard.
• From U.S. 1 North, drivers can take I-440 East to Exit 3 (Hillsborough Street) to Blue Ridge Road to Trinity Road. 
 
Drivers heading for the concert are reminded that they will also be dealing with rush hour traffic in the area, so they will want to allow extra time to make it to the stadium. The Highway Patrol will have more than 30 posts sets up in and around the stadium assisting traffic before the concert and after it wraps up around 11:30 p.m.

Traffic is expected to get even heavier in the days after the concert, as with gas prices lower than this time last year, more people are expected to head to the beach over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, putting more traffic on I-40. NCDOT recommends arriving and leaving the beach early.  I-40 will have heavier traffic not only through the Fortify work zone but heading to the beach and for the ride back.

To help ease congestion, there will be no additional lane closures in the 8.5-mile section of I-40 in the Fortify zone to make the ride a little easier.  
 
And as a reminder, there are alternate routes to use instead of traveling through the Fortify work zone. Drivers staying in the Triangle can go onto I-440 East or West to go around the construction area, and then continue on to I-40 East or West. For drivers planning to just pass through Raleigh between the eastern part of the state, including the southern beaches, and areas west of the Triangle, they can use I-540, I-495, U.S. 264 and I-95 to not only miss the work zone, but on Sunday afternoon and evening, the traditional traffic congestion on I-40 West as it approaches the Triangle.

As always, remember it is a work zone, drive the posted speed limit and be aware of lane shifts that are in place between Lake Wheeler road and U.S. 1.

Whether you are going to the Rolling Stones Concert of the beach over the holiday weekend remember to not drink and drive.

Fortify Project update

Work on I-440 section of the project should be completely done by Mid July.

On I-40 East, orange cones continue to be replaced with concrete barriers between Lake Wheeler Road and U.S. 1, blocking off the inside lane.  That was scheduled to be completed this week but has been delayed because of the weather. Similar barriers were already put in place on I-40 West in the same area.  These barriers are being placed so crews could safely do work in the median.  Work in this area is expected to increase now.   Traffic has been shifted to the outside lane.

The next phase of construction work on the 8.5-mile stretch of I-40 is now expected to pick up by mid-July, when lane shifts are expected to begin between Lake Wheeler Road and the I-40/I-440 Split.  They should be completely finished  in August, weather permitting. Once in place, all traffic on I-40 East and West will be reduced to three lanes in either direction.

Once this happens is when commute times are expected to increase for drivers who can expect their commutes to be an additional 30 minutes each way.  That does not factor in incidents on the roadway or inclement weather.