CHINA GROVE — N.C. Department of Transportation contractors must detour traffic utilizing N.C. 152 as well as U.S. 29 for work associated with the portion of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project that goes through Rowan County.
A section of eastbound N.C. 152 to U.S. 29 will be closed on Monday, Sep. 17 from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. while crews establish girders for the railroad bridge in this location.
Later in the week, both the U.S. 29 southbound and northbound connector, as well as the loop from N.C. 152 to U.S. 29, will close from midnight until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Sep.19. Lane closures in this area will also be in place.
“Both girder work and demolition should not be impacted by the aftermath of Hurricane Florence thus our contractor is planning to move forward with the work,” said Division Engineer Pat Ivey.
Overall, the project involves replacing and rebuilding several bridges over I-85 to meet current design requirements and eliminate substandard clearances. The department is adding four travel lanes (two in each direction) to an 8-mile stretch of I-85 in Cabarrus and Rowan counties to improve traffic flow. The work will complete the expansion of I-85 through Cabarrus and Rowan counties. Traffic volumes are predicted to increase each year and without these improvements, exceed the road’s capacity by 2035.
The entire project is scheduled to be complete by November 2019.
For more information about the project, you can contact NCDOT Resident Engineer Kelly Seitz at (704) 630-3220.