CHINA GROVE — N.C. Department of
Transportation contractors must close a portion of I-85 between Lane Street and
Exit 68 next week for construction of the new Pine Ridge Road Bridge as part of the I-85 Corridor
Improvement Project.
“The contractor is building
a more efficient bridge to accommodate modern-day traffic volumes,” said NCDOT
Resident Engineer Kelly Seitz.
The northbound
direction of the highway will be closed from midnight until 6 a.m. starting on
Tuesday, Feb. 6, through Thursday morning, Feb. 8. The southbound direction of
the highway will be closed from midnight until 6 a.m. starting on Friday, Feb.
9, through Saturday morning, Feb. 10.
Law enforcement
officers will be stationed to help detour traffic around the closure along U.S. 29 and Lane
Street.
Overall, the project involves replacing and
rebuilding several bridges over I-85 to meet current design requirements and
increase the clearance height of the structures for larger vehicles traveling
along the highway.
The department is adding four
travel lanes (two in each direction) to an 8-mile stretch of I-85 in Cabarrus
and Rowan counties to improve traffic flow. The work will complete the expansion
of I-85 through those counties. Without these improvements, traffic volumes are
predicted to increase each year and exceed highway capacity by 2035.
The entire project is scheduled to be complete by
December 2019.
Transportation officials remind
motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the
posted speed limit.
For more information about the project, you can contact NCDOT
Resident Engineer Kelly Seitz at kseitz@ncdot.gov or (704) 630-3220.?
For real-time travel information, visit the Traveler Services
section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.
Contact: Miracle King
(336) 487-0157
miracleking@ncdot.gov