CHARLOTTE – The I-85/I-485 interchange project in west Charlotte is entering its next phase with the anticipated closure of Sam Wilson Road over I-85, scheduled to happen Monday, Sept. 21. This year-long closure is one part of the project intended to provide vehicles with more room to safely exit I-485 to I-85, currently one of the most congested interchanges in the region.
This closure will allow the contractor, Reeves Construction Company, to safely build a new bridge over a future collector road carrying traffic from the I-485 off-ramp to I-85 South. Construction will take happen in two phases:
Phase One – approximately six months
- All traffic will be detoured offsite except for emergency vehicles
- Crews will build the south side of the bridge concurrently
Phase Two – approximately six months
- The south side of the bridge will open to be used by northbound drivers
- The north side of the bridge will be built at the same time
- Drivers heading south will continue using the offsite detour
- Temporary signals will be used to control traffic flow on the bridge
Drivers are encouraged to go to DriveNC.gov as several detours will be implemented, depending on direction of travel. Closures on I-85 are not anticipated during this time, and ramps from Sam Wilson Road to I-85 will remain open as much as possible. Night closures may be necessary for future tie-in work.
The overall project includes these other improvements:
- Widen the existing bridge from the I-485 off-ramp to I-85 South, located over the I-85 southbound off-ramp to Sam Wilson Road
- Build a new roadway along I-85 South to carry the I-485 off-ramp traffic to I-85 South
- Relocate the existing Sam Wilson ramp to I-85
Learn more about the project improvements on the NCDOT project website.