Construction on I-40 delayed because of bad weather
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Crews were supposed to start opening up a third lane along I-440 west Saturday night, but weather has pushed those plans back.
Plans to open a third lane of westbound I-440 from the I-40/440 split to the interchange with I-495/U.S.64/264 were put on hold over the weekend due to rain.
The NCDOT says it needs four nights of good weather, including no rain, to remove concrete barriers and put down new lane striping. However, the communications director claims that this postponement is not a major issue.
"The contractor thought it would take about a week to get in the four good nights of work. The positive thing is that each night they get work in, there will be a little more of roadway for drivers to use," said Steve Abbott with the NCDOT.
Once that phase of the project is completed, then they'll tackle the I-440 east side of the project, opening the third lane there, which should be completed by the end of February.
But, even once that section is done, the work along 440 won't be finished. Crews will then have to install highway signs, do some ramp work, and lay down a final layer of pavement with permanent lane striping. That should happen in March. Then the focus will switch to the larger I-40 phase of the project between the I-440/U.S.1/64 interchange in Cary and the I-440 split.
The communications supervisor told ABC11 this recent weather delay will not impact the overall deadline for the project, since when weather stops that type of work from happening, crews simply switch to work that isn't "weather conditional" on either 440 or I-40.
