Motorists must follow detour route to avoid closure
 
RALEIGH —The N.C. Department of Transportation will close a 7-mile section of I-85 North near the Yadkin River next week to install girders on the new N.C. 150 bridge over the interstate. The closure will extend from Old Union Church Road (Exit 79) in Rowan County to Belmont Road (Exit 86) in Davidson County. It will take place on the night of Aug. 29, 30 and 31 from midnight to 6 a.m. the following day, weather permitting.
 
During the closure, motorists traveling on I-85 North must take the following detour route:
• Take Exit 79 and turn left onto Old Union Church Road. Follow it into Spencer;
• Turn right onto U.S. 29/70 (Main Street) and take it across the Yadkin River;
• Turn left onto Old Salisbury Road;
• Turn right onto Belmont Road and follow it back to I-85 North.
 
Truck drivers should take I-77 North to I-40 East back to I-85 North to avoid the closure. This all-interstate detour will be easier for tractor trailers to navigate than the local roads through Spencer.
 
Law enforcement officers will be stationed along the detour routes to help traffic move safely through these areas. While traveling in the work zone, motorists are advised to slow down, pay attention and follow the posted construction signs. NCDOT scheduled the closure for the overnight hours to minimize the impact to traffic.
 
The pre-cast girders that crews plan to install starting Monday night are scheduled to be hauled in from the manufacturer in Virginia Beach, Va.
 
The bridge work is part of the $201.5 million I-85 Corridor Improvement Project, the state’s top mobility project. Contractor Flatiron-Lane demolished the old N.C. 150 bridge and is now building a reconfigured, more efficient interchange. The first phase of the project, which includes this work, is scheduled to be complete by January 2013.
 
For more information on the I-85 Corridor Improvement 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.