NEW BERN - Bridge construction at Grantham Road is set to begin for the first of five interchanges along the U.S. 70 Improvements in the James City project corridor. During bridge construction, a temporary traffic pattern for U.S. 70 travelers will be utilized.
Starting at 7 p.m. Friday, May 16, weather permitting, a series of U.S. 70 lane closures will begin to shift U.S. 70 Eastbound and Westbound traffic near Grantham Road to newly widened portions of the highway and interchange ramps. By 6 a.m. Monday, May 19, this temporary traffic pattern will be fully implemented and will remain in place during bridge construction.
Reduced conflict intersections (RCI) with temporary traffic signals will be installed near the Grantham Road intersection with U.S. 70 to facilitate traffic flow. These RCIs will enable drivers to make U-turns on the highway and access side streets while the median crossover at Grantham Road is closed during bridge construction. For more information about how temporary RCIs will function along the project corridor, see the project construction phases video.
To prepare the Grantham Road area for RCI implementation, E. Grantham Road (North) and W. Grantham Road (South) will be closed between U.S. 70 and their respective roundabouts from 7 p.m. Friday, May 16 to 6 a.m. Monday, May 19. During this time, signed detour routes will be in place for motorists to access Grantham Road.
In the event of weather delays, all work will take place the following week between Monday, May 19 and Friday, May 23.
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 at www.NCDOT.gov/JamesCity.
Intersections along U.S. 70 in James City are being converted to interchanges without traffic signals, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times. The Grantham 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. Send an email to US70-JamesCity@publicinput.com or call 1-855-925-2801 and enter code 7872 when prompted. The public may also visit the new site office at 118B Market Street in New Bern to ask questions and receive information by making an appointment by email or phone. Follow social media for updates on X at @NCDOT_Scoast or Facebook at @NCDOT.