First I-40 Fortify Lane Reductions Expected to Begin Friday Morning


Raleigh – For the first time, Raleigh commuters could see some lane reductions as early as Friday morning on parts of eastbound Interstate 40 in the Fortify I-40 Rebuild work zone.

Crews on Thursday night will extend the lane shifts and begin reducing the roadway down to three lanes where four and five lanes currently exist from Lake Wheeler Road to South Saunders Street. Over the next several days, the traffic shift and lane reductions will continue to progress east to the I-40/I-440 split.

All work happens at night, is contingent on the weather and requires close coordination with other activities on the project.

Drivers can expect increased travel times through the Fortify work zone, especially Friday afternoon due to weekend travelers.

The shifts and reductions are needed so construction crews can safely begin tearing up the inside lanes.

Shifts are already in place in the eastbound lanes from U.S. 1 to Lake Wheeler Road. Similar shifts on I-40 West in the same area could begin by mid-August.

Once the final three-lane traffic pattern is in place, drivers can expect an average of 30 additional minutes for both their morning and afternoon commutes – and even longer when there is bad weather or incidents on the roadway.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation urges travelers through the Fortify work zone to “know before you go” and to stay up to date with the latest traffic information online at FortifyNC.com.