Motorists will encounter traffic pattern changes next week as construction progresses on the northern segment of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project in Davidson County.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will permanently close the Clark Road (Exit 85) entrance and exits ramps from I-85 North on Monday, Aug. 1, weather permitting.
The ramp closures are necessary to add new outside lanes to I-85 North, which will allow it to carry four lanes of traffic. This extensive widening work is part of what makes this North Carolina’s top mobility project. The southbound I-85 Clark Road exit ramps will remain open through November 2012, at which point they will be closed and the Clark Road overpass removed.
Starting Monday, a detour route will be in place for motorists traveling north on I-85 who want to access Clark Road. They will drive about one mile past the closed ramp and take Exit 86 to Belmont Road. For those looking to connect to N.C. 150, detour signs will lead them on Belmont Road and Old Salisbury Road to the interchange.
Also on Aug. 1, NCDOT will close a section of Snider Kines Road, which runs parallel to southbound I-85. Motorists accessing Bill’s Truck Stop from I-85 or Belmont Road will not be impacted. Residents living on Snider Kines Road will need to use Old Salisbury Road to reach their destinations.
NCDOT broke ground last September on the southern segment of the project, which involves replacing eight bridges and widening 3.3 miles of I-85. 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