PARKTON – A new alignment of Black Ridge Road opened Thursday south of Fayetteville as part of the ongoing construction of the Fayetteville Outer Loop.
And a nearby section of Lake Upchurch Drive is scheduled to permanently close Monday as part of the same project.
On Thursday, an N.C. Department of Transportation contractor shifted traffic permanently onto the new alignment of Black Ridge Road. The new alignment connects with Old Plank Road near the loop's future interchange under construction.
That interchange will be signed as the Black Ridge Road exit when the loop (also known as Interstate 295) opens in a few years.
Directly to the south of the same interchange is Lake Upchurch Drive, which must be severed to make room for the new highway. Crews plan to make this permanent change on Monday morning, creating cul-de-sacs.
People who live on Lake Upchurch Drive will continue to have access to either Old Plank Road or an older alignment of Black Ridge Road.
Drivers should be cautious near the closure site today and be alert of the new traffic patterns in this vicinity.
People can visit this NCDOT page to learn more about the Fayetteville Outer Loop.