By Jason Hibbets
On January 1, 2015 phase two of the NCDOT Fortify Raleigh project began, impacting the section of I-40 between the I-40/440 split to the east and the US 1 and Highway 64 intersection to the west with reduced lanes in each direction. The lane closures will start in January and are planned to go through the end of 2016.
Overall, Fortify is a three year road project with the goal of improving safety on I-40. It’s basically pulling up the concrete and putting new roadway down due to a chemical reaction between the existing concrete and the asphalt that is causing pot holes, buckles, and other road hazards.
NCDOT is encouraging drivers using the impacted section of I-40 to find alternate means of transportation during the construction period, as they are anticipating heavier congestion during peak times. The best resource is www.gotriangle.org.
Staring on January 12, 2015, several new bus routes will be made available from NCDOT in addition to existing routes from other parts of the Triangle. All buses are mifi/wifi enabled and NCDOT encourages people to look at the existing and available routes.
There is a live bus app at live.gotriangle.org and car pool information at sharetheridenc.org. If you have 7-12 people riding to/from work together be sure to check out vanpooling and see if that is an option.
At peak driving times, I-40 sees over 110,000 vehicles on the road. At a learning session in December, representatives said that phase two construction will resemble a boa constrictor eating an animal.
Be safe out there on I-40.