An Interstate 40 repair project that starts tonight on Raleigh’s southern Beltline is expected to cause big traffic headaches from time to time over the coming months.
But it won’t be bad this week, a state Department of Transportation engineer says.
Tonight’s work will close the inside lane of westbound I-40 near Exit 301 (the I-40 / I-440 split in south Raleigh) from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Two other westbound lanes, and all eastbound lanes, will stay open.
Later this week, as the nighttime work moves west, one westbound lane will be closed at night. Four westbound lanes and all eastbound lanes will stay open.
S.T. Wooten Corp. has an $8.5 million contract from the state Department of Transportation to repair 13 miles of I-40 from Exit 301 to Exit 289 (the Wade Avenue exit in west Raleigh).
The work includes replacement of about a dozen broken concrete pavement slabs, with extensive repair work to the existing pavement elsewhere. After repairs are finished, all lanes in both directions will be topped with a layer of special asphalt called UltraThin. The work is to be completed by August 2008.
Most work will be scheduled between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., with all lanes open for weekday traffic. About five or six weekends of day and night work also are planned, with the first weekend expected to be scheduled in mid-November.
The broken concrete slabs to be replaced are located along I-40 between Exit 299 (Hammond Road) and Exit 295 (Gorman Road), DOT engineer Andy Berry said. The pavement elsewhere on I-40 will not be removed but will be repaired in place.
Repair schedules and locations will be announced, with recommended detour routes, on a special DOT website to be set up in the next few days, Berry said. Travelers also will receive information on DOT’s 511 telephone information service, on DOT's online highway report site, and on electronic message boards.
Crosstown Traffic is all about getting around in the Triangle. Bad drivers and traffic hassles. Gas taxes and transportation politics. Public transit and other auto alternatives.
