I-77 southbound lanes to close for construction. What we know about latest NCDOT plans
As part of a $30 million construction project meant to reduce wrecks and chronic congestion, all southbound lanes will temporarily close for two nights on a stretch of Interstate 77 in the Lake Norman area, officials said.
The lanes will be closed overnight Wednesday, Oct. 18, and Thursday, Oct. 19, near exit 23 for Gilead Road in Huntersville, according to an N.C. Department of Transportation news release.
That includes the toll or “express” lanes, officials said.
Crews will close all I-77 southbound lanes beginning from 10:30 p.m. through 5 a.m. on the two nights so workers can safely install overhang jacks for a bridge.
The state is converting the interchange into a diverging-diamond layout, which NCDOT says has reduced wrecks and bottlenecks at other interchanges, including I-77 exit 28 in Cornelius.
The spending plan includes building a new bridge to handle eastbound traffic over I-77, with the existing bridge serving westbound drivers, NCDOT officials said.
The exit leads to downtown Huntersville to the east and to Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center, The Park-Huntersville and numerous restaurants and other retailers to the west.
Work on the northbound side of the interstate was scheduled to finish on Tuesday night, so crews could shift to the southbound side, officials said.
The project also includes widening a stretch of U.S. 21 from two to four lanes on either side of Gilead Road. The widening will accommodate a new, safer U.S. 21 intersection, officials said.