Diverging diamond construction will start soon at I-40 and Airport Boulevard near RDU

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Both exits off Interstate 40 for Raleigh-Durham International Airport will be closed for more than a year in an effort to improve the flow of traffic.

The first phase of the project, closing those exits, is scheduled to begin in March.

NCDOT is installing a diverging diamond on Airport Boulevard, replacing the current bridge over I-40 with two new ones.

The diverging diamond is a traffic pattern designed to eliminate left turns, and therefore keep traffic flowing more efficiently.

But to create the new traffic pattern, NCDOT will be forced to close the I-40 exit ramps in the area.

According to our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer, all four lanes of Airport Boulevard will generally remain open during construction--except for some single lane closures during off-peak hours.

The whole project is expected to cost around $35 million and will not be completed until 2023.