RALEIGH – Work is set to start tonight
on the lone Interstate 40 ramp that has not been rebuilt as part of the Fortify
project. The Gorman Street ramp to I-40 East will close about 6 p.m. so it can
be dug up and replaced by a brand-new ramp. It will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday,
March 19.
During the closure, drivers who usually use Gorman Street to get to
I-40 East can access the interstate by heading east on Tryon Road and turning
left at Lake Wheeler Road. Another option is to go from Gorman Street to
Centennial Parkway, then turning right at Lake Wheeler Road by the State
Farmer's Market.
When the ramp re-opens Monday morning, the contractor hopes that at
the same time it can remove the barrier wall around the Gorman Street exit. It
is the final lengthy stretch in the work zone that has a barrier wall still in
place.
Then on Monday night, if the temperature is warm enough, crews will
resume the final shifts on the east side of the highway to put traffic into its
final pattern. Most of the 8 1/2 miles of roadway have already been shifted on
the east side, except for the area near Gorman Street heading west toward the
U.S. 1/64 exit. Making these final shifts will also enable crews to completely
open the new U.S. 1/64 to Gorman Street connector lane on the east side.
Once the shifts are done, a final layer of asphalt goes down to
smooth out the road, with new lane striping and reflective lane markers to
follow. Additional paving workers joined the project this week, so resurfacing
work can go simultaneously in both directions of the work zone. Much of the
westbound side already has its final surface in place.
Work will also soon begin on repairs needed by the sound wall near
the westbound I-440/U.S. 1 exit. Once that is handled, the rest of the collector
lane between Gorman Street and that exit can be opened.
These roadway improvements doesn’t mean a change in the work zone
speed limit of 60 mph, so extra caution is still needed when traveling through
the area. Law enforcement has noticed an increase in speeding and is increasing
its enforcement through the work zone, which brings an extra $250 fine if
convicted of speeding.
Fortify project details, as well as traffic updates and live
traffic cameras can be found on FortifyNC.com. Real-time travel information for Fortify and other
highways across the state is available at DriveNC.gov and by following NCDOT on Twitter.