This weekend, motorists will begin traveling on the newly constructed outside lanes of I-85 South from just south of Belmont Road to just south of Clark Road in Davidson County. The traffic shift will start tonight at 8 p.m. and end on Saturday, March 9, by 6 a.m. Lane closures are possible until 11 a.m.
Moving traffic onto the new outside lanes of I-85 is a necessary step for phase two of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project. The shift will allow crews to begin construction on the new inside lanes of I-85. By late summer, the contractor is scheduled to open the interstate to four lanes in each direction from just north of N.C. 150 to just north of I-85 Business.
To shift traffic safely and efficiently, crews must close I-85 South between Belmont Road (Exit 86) and N.C. 150 (Exit 84). At 10 p.m., all southbound traffic will exit I-85 at Belmont Road (Exit 86) and take following detour route:
• At the top of the exit ramp, turn left onto Belmont Road and continue for approximately 0.25 miles;
• At the stop sign, turn left onto Old Salisbury Road and continue for about two miles;
• At the stop sign, turn left onto N.C. 150 and continue for approximately 0.25 miles; and
• Turn left onto the I-85 South loop to re-enter I-85 on the new outside lanes.
Law enforcement will be present at each intersection to keep the traffic pattern flowing along the detour. The N.C. Department of Transportation advises drivers to prepare for significant traffic congestion in the area after the detour goes into effect. NCDOT urges motorists to avoid the area, if possible, or allow plenty of extra time to reach their destinations safely. Traffic flow can be monitored via live cameras on the project website at www.i-85yadkinriver2.com/camera.html.
This traffic shift is part of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project, the state’s top mobility project. NCDOT broke ground in September 2010 on phase one of the project, which involves replacing eight bridges, widening 3.3 miles of I-85 from just north of Long Ferry Road (Exit 81) to just north of N.C. 150 and reconstructing the N.C. 150 interchange. Phase two extends the interstate widening by an additional 3.8 miles from just north of N.C. 150 to just north of I-85 Business. Work on both phases is concurrent and currently scheduled to be complete in late summer.
For more information on both phases of the $201.5 million project, visit www.i-85yadkinriver.com. To receive instant updates on traffic pattern changes, construction-related congestion and project milestones, follow NCDOT’s I-85 Twitter feed, https://twitter.com/NCDOT_I85.