Part of I-85 in Davidson to close overnight for construction

Motorists who travel on I-85 South in Davidson County will encounter a detour this week as construction progresses on the new Belmont Road bridge over the interstate. The work is an important part of the northern segment of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project.

Weather permitting, the N.C. Department of Transportation will close I-85 South from Belmont Road (Exit 86) to Clark Road (Exit 85) from today at 10 p.m. to Thursday at 6 a.m. NCDOT scheduled the closure for the overnight hours to minimize the impact on traffic.

The closure is necessary for crews to install the remaining nine concrete girders on the new Belmont Road bridge over the interstate. The girders will provide the support structure for the part of the bridge that vehicles will drive on. The new bridge, which will help traffic flow more safely and efficiently, is scheduled to open this spring.

During the closure, motorists traveling south on I-85 must follow a signed detour route. They will get off at the Belmont Road exit ramp, turn right on Belmont Road, turn left onto Old Salisbury Road (U.S. 29/70), turn left onto Clark Road and go down the I-85 South entrance ramp to return to the interstate. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each turn to direct motorists and improve traffic flow. While traveling around the work zone, NCDOT encourages drivers to go slow and allow additional time to reach their destinations safely.

If crews are not able to place all nine girders during this closure, NCDOT will schedule a similar overnight closure from Thursday at midnight to Friday at 6 a.m. to complete the work.

Throughout construction, traffic flow can be monitored on the project website at www.i-85yadkinriver2.com/camera.html.

NCDOT broke ground in September 2010 on the southern segment of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project, which involves replacing eight bridges, widening 3.3 miles of I-85 and reconstructing the N.C. 150 interchange. The northern segment extends the reach of the interstate widening 3.8 miles from north of N.C. 150 to just north of I-85 Business. Work on both phases is concurrent and should be complete by May 2013.

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