RALEIGH - A section of U.S. 401 South will be closed from 9 p.m. tonight until
6 a.m. Thursday morning as part of the N.C.
Department of Transportation project to replace the U.S.
70/N.C. 50 bridge over U.S. 401.
The closure is necessary so contractor crews can safely perform
asphalt work. Motorists will be directed onto U.S. 70 East, and then Mechanical
Boulevard to get back onto U.S. 401 South.
Drivers in the area will also need to be on alert for overnight lane
closures in the area from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. tonight and Thursday night so
crews can continue installing new traffic signals at U.S. 401 and Mechanical
Boulevard. The closures will be needed when crews are pulling in cable and
installing the signal lights. Police will be in place to control intersection
traffic.
Work on the $3 million project to replace the 61-year-old bridge began
in late May, with the new structure open for traffic as early as November. The
new bridge will have a higher clearance height over U.S, 401, and there will be
wider shoulders on the roadway approaching the bridge. It is on a new location
just west of the current bridge.
Because of the high traffic volume in this area, almost all the work
has been done at night, with no lane closures allowed on U.S. 401, U.S. 70 or
Mechanical Boulevard between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and
between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays. The exceptions are when the roadway
needs to be closed for safety reasons because of the work being done.
This replacement project is part of the NCDOT's state-funded bridge
plan, which invests in preserving, repairing or replacing bridges statewide.
For more information on this plan, visit our Bridge Improvement Program webpage.
NCDOT reminds motorists to watch signs for construction information,
stay alert and obey the posted speed limit. Updated travel information is also
available by calling 511 or online at www.ncdot.gov/travel. In
addition, NCDOT now offers travel information on Twitter.
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