HUNTERSVILLE – N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews will close lanes on I-77 North near Gilead Road (exit 23) Saturday night and a couple of nights next week, weather permitting.
The closures are part of a $30.8 million project to convert the existing Gilead Road interchange at Interstate 77 to a diverging diamond interchange and make additional improvements to U.S. 21 (Statesville Road) on either side of Gilead Road.
Contract crews will close all lanes on I-77 North, including the express lanes on Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. – 5 a.m. the next morning. This will allow workers to safely install girders for the new bridge being built next to Gilead Road. Drivers will be detoured from I-77 North to exit 23, continuing across Gilead Road to the entrance ramp back to I-77 North.
The diverging diamond design allows two directions of traffic to temporarily cross to the left side of the road, providing easier access to the interstate. The project also includes a new bridge to handle eastbound traffic over I-77, with the existing bridge serving westbound drivers.
In addition, a section of U.S. 21 will be widened from two to four lanes on either side of Gilead Road to accommodate a reduced conflict intersection design, a type of intersection that redirects side-street traffic from going straight or left at a divided highway intersection.
Additional closures will be scheduled throughout the month as the weather permits.
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