CONCORD – As work continues on a $10.2 million project to improve access to Concord Mills Mall, construction activities will be suspended starting Nov.14 to make holiday shopping easier for visitors. NCDOT is working with mall officials to make drivers and shoppers aware of the temporary break.
The contract awarded in January 2018 calls for a two-lane flyover bridge to connect Interstate 85 at Concord Mils Boulevard to Kings Grant Pavilion, the first main entrance to the mall complex. The bridge will replace the existing left turn lanes at the intersection, improving traffic flow on Concord Mills Boulevard.
Contractor Blythe Development Inc. has shifted traffic on Concord Mills Boulevard to allow storm drain installation and concrete island construction in the median.
When construction resumes in January, the contractor will close the main entrance to the mall to start building the new bridge, and drivers will enter the mall at the second entrance via Bexley Way. Mall visitors can also use the third entrance at Thunder Road, or the back entrance from Odell School Road/Derita Road at Carolina Lily Lane.
"The pause on the flyover construction will allow all roadways and entrances to the shopping center to remain open," said Ray Soporowski, general manager of Concord Mills. "With an array of seasonal festivities plus our signature attractions and shopping, we are working with the city and North Carolina Department of Transportation to keep it easy for Concord Mills shoppers and visitors to join us this holiday season."
The current schedule calls for the bridge to be completed in the fall of 2020, with overall completion coming in the summer of 2021.