NEW BERN – Construction of the Thurman Road interchange bridge — the third of five planned along the U.S. 70 Improvements in the James City corridor — is expected to begin this weekend. During this stage of construction, motorists on U.S. 70 will be directed through a temporary traffic pattern designed to maintain both safety and mobility during bridge construction.
Weather permitting, lane closures will occur along U.S. 70 between Saturday, June 20 and Monday, June 22. The closures will shift eastbound and westbound traffic near Thurman Road onto newly widened sections of the highway and interchange ramps. To advance project progress, an exception has been made to the summer weekend lane closure restrictions for this work to occur. Lane closures will be staggered to minimize disruptions to traffic.
U.S. 70 westbound lane closures are scheduled from 5 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 21. U.S. 70 eastbound lane closures will then take place from 5 a.m. Sunday, June 21 to 6 a.m. Monday, June 22.
As part of this phase, crews will install reduced conflict intersections (RCIs) with temporary traffic signals near the Thurman Road intersection with U.S. 70 to manage traffic flow. These RCIs will allow drivers to perform U-turns and reach side streets while the median crossover at Thurman Road is closed for construction. Additional information about the use of temporary RCIs along the corridor is available in the project construction phases video.
In advance of implementing the RCIs, sections of East Thurman Road and West Thurman Road will be closed between U.S. 70 and service roads from 5 a.m. Saturday, June 20, through 6 a.m. Monday, June 22. Signed detour routes will be in place for motorists to access both East and West Thurman Road.
Travelers are encouraged to sign up for project updates and traffic alerts by providing an email address or cell phone number on the project website.
Intersections along U.S. 70 in James City are being converted to interchanges without traffic signals, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times. The Thurman Road interchange will allow for fluid cross street traffic under the highway, with roundabouts on both sides to manage the flow of traffic. Bridge construction marks the final stage of construction before the interchange is complete.
The project team is available to answer any questions by email, US70-JamesCity@publicinput.com, or by phone at 1-855-925-2801 and enter code 7872 when prompted. Follow social media for updates on X at @NCDOT_Scoast or Facebook at @NCDOT and join the Southern Coast Updates Facebook Community.