Motorists who travel through the Interstate 85 Corridor Improvement Project work zone will encounter a series of overnight closures in Rowan and Cabarrus counties while crews perform work related to the replacement of the Daugherty Road bridge.

Contractors will close I-85 North between Exits 63 and 68 from midnight to 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. Crews will close the same stretch on the southbound side the following night, May 14. Lane closures will be in place three hours prior to the full closures.

Northbound and southbound detours will be in place each night using U.S. 29 and Lane Street. Law enforcement officers will be stationed along the detour to help traffic move safely through the area.

The right lane of I-85 North will be closed near the bridge beginning at 9 p.m. on Monday, May 15, and will re-open at 6 a.m. the next day. The right lane of I-85 South will be closed the following night and openon Wednesday morning. These lane closures are necessary for contractors to install lumber safety barriers that will shield drivers during the ongoing bridge construction.

“The contractor is building a more efficient bridge to accommodate the interstate widening,” said Resident Engineer Kelly Seitz. “We ask that drivers exercise caution in the work zones and give themselves extra time to get to their destinations.”

Overall, the project involves replacing and rebuilding several bridges over I-85 to meet current design requirements and eliminate substandard clearances. The Department of Transportation is adding four travel lanes (two in each direction) to improve traffic flow on an 8-mile stretch of I-85 in Cabarrus and Rowan counties. Without these improvements, traffic volumes are predicted to increase each year and exceed capacity by 2035.

The entire project is scheduled to be complete by November 2019.