Expect detours, closures as crews revamp a Charlotte-area I-77 interchange this week
Expect detours and closures at Interstate 77 Gilead Road exit 23 in Huntersville beginning Thursday night and continuing through the weekend.
N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews are scheduled to convert the interchange into a $30.8 million diverging diamond layout — the same as the one at I-77 exit 28 in Cornelius near Lake Norman.
The goal is to improve safety and reduce wrecks at the decades-old interchange, NCDOT officials said in a news release.
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.
Detours, closures
At 9 p.m. Thursday, left turns will be removed on U.S. 21 at Gilead Road, officials said.
By Friday morning, drivers wanting to turn left will continue to a new, permanent U-turn lane to turn around and go in the opposite direction.
At 9 p.m. Friday, Gilead Road will be closed between Reese Boulevard and U.S. 21 so crews can finish placing stripes, lane markings and markers on the road to reflect the diverging diamond pattern.
Drivers will be detoured to I-77 during the closure.
The road will reopen with the new traffic pattern by 6 a.m. Monday, highway officials said.
“Drivers should plan for extra time to become familiar with the new traffic pattern,” according to the NCDOT news release.
How diverging diamonds work
Diverging diamonds also are in place nearby at the I-485 Mallard Creek Road and I-85 Poplar Tent Road exits.
Traffic flows better with the diverging diamond design because drivers no longer stack up at lights where the highway exit ramps meet the main road, highway officials said.
Drivers on the main road no longer have to stop at lights before heading onto the interstate. Such bridges still have traffic lights, but they’re moved elsewhere on the span to reduce congestion.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 11:57 AM.