The next shift onto newly built inside lanes of the Fortify I-40 rebuild project is expected late this week.
The contractor plans to move about two miles of I-40 West traffic onto three new lanes from west of Lake Wheeler Road (Exit 297) to west of the Avent Ferry Road bridge overnight Friday, weather permitting. A similar shift for I-40 eastbound traffic in the same area took place last month.
Crews have spent this week preparing for the move by moving barriers and painting new lane markings. The new traffic pattern will place westbound drivers on, essentially, a brand new interstate, with a smooth road surface.
Eventually, concrete barriers will be moved back in place to provide protection for workers who will be tearing up the roadway that is currently being used along that stretch of interstate.
There will be more lane shifts to the inside travel lanes over the summer, with the next section to change being in the westbound lanes by the I-40/440 split in southeast Raleigh. That move could take place in a few weeks.
All traffic over the 8.5-mile length of this section of the project should be on the new inside lanes by early fall. Then, crews will concentrate on rebuilding the three outside lanes in both directions.
Because this is a very busy work zone, the Department of Transportation urges drivers to pay extra attention getting in and out of the new traffic pattern. They should also slow down while traveling through the entire work zone, where the speed limit is 60 mph. Drivers should avoid distractions, such as smartphones, and concentrate on the vehicles in front of and beside them. A majority of crashes in the work zone have been the result of distracted or speeding drivers.
Road, bridge, and other transportation improvement projects like this one are currently underway across the state as part of Governor McCrory’s 25-Year Transportation Vision to enhance travel safety and to better connect North Carolinians to jobs, education, healthcare and recreation opportunities.
More information about the lane shifts and the project itself is on FortifyNC.com, including traffic updates, live traffic cameras and information about alternate transit options.
For real-time travel information, call 511, visit the Traveler Services section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.