Interstate 85 lanes to close for weeks near Charlotte for $337M expansion
Prepare for weeks of lane closures as a contractor does preliminary work on the first stretch of a $1.5 billion widening of Interstate 85 near Charlotte, state highway officials said Friday.
Lane closures began Sunday night, Oct. 19, near the I-85 bridge over the South Fork Catawba River, just north of McAdenville in Gaston County, officials said.
Closures will allow engineers to “begin a geotechnical investigation” for the first, $337 million stretch of widening, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation news release.
Engineers will learn through the investigation what’s under the road surface, officials said. The findings will be used to help design a wider bridge, according to the state.
The right lane of I-85 South near the bridge closed just after midnight until 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24. “Lane closures will continue from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night through Friday morning, Oct. 31, depending on the contractor’s progress,” according to an NCDOT statement.
First stretch of widening is under design
NCDOT awarded the $337 million contract to Lane Construction Corp. this year for the first segment of the project, which includes:
• An additional lane in each direction from N.C. 7 Exit 23 to N.C. 273 Exit 27).
• Fixing or replacing the bridge and several others along the route.
• Improvements to interchanges to lessen congestion.
The first stretch of widening is under design, and construction is “likely to begin” next summer, according to NCDOT.
The initial stretch spans four congested, wreck-prone miles of Interstate 85, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
Lane Construction Corp. will widen I-85 from six to eight lanes, with a 26-foot median between N.C. 7 exit 23 in Mount Holly and N.C. 273 exit 27 near the Catawba River in Belmont, according to NCDOT.
Bridges to be replaced or improved are on N.C. 7 over I-85; I-85 over the South Fork Catawba River; Hickory Grove Road over I-85; Belmont-Mt. Holly Road/Main Street over I-85; P&R Railway over I-85, east of Belmont-Mt. Holly Road; and N.C. 273 over I-85.
The intersection of N.C. 7/U.S. 29/U.S. 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) will be redesigned to reduce wrecks, according to NCDOT.
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Widening I-85 to U.S. 321
NCDOT eventually plans to expand the interstate to U.S. 321 in Gastonia, totaling about 10 miles of widening and other improvements.
In late 2028, the department intends to advertise for bids on the segment from McAdenville Road exit 23 to the U.S. 321 interchange exit 17, officials said.
The intersection of Cox Road and U.S. 29-74/Franklin Boulevard will be improved.
A contractor and designer are working on plans for three railroad bridges and a roadway bridge through the section.
NCDOT first revealed plans for the 10-mile widening in August 2022.
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 5:30 AM.