INC NEWS - News on I-40 & I-85

[Mike Woodard]

Neighbors:

At this morning's Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, I 
learned some things about the I-85 and I-40 projects I want to share.

1) The I-85 ribbon cutting scheduled for Monday, April 23 has been 
postponed. NC DOT likes to schedule such ceremonies when the work on 
a project is "substantially completed" (their term, not mine). While 
work on I-85 is in the final phase, NC DOT's administration wanted to 
be closer to completion before having the ceremony. No new date has 
been set, but it will probably be held in June as work is wrapping up.

2) Many of you have contacted me about the "staging area" at the 
15-501/147 juncture. This is place where the concrete "plant," 
various earth moving equipment, trucks, and other equipment are kept. 
(Staging area is DOT's term, not mine. I have another name for it. 
;-) ) Under the terms of DOT contracts, the paving contractor may 
keep its equipment in a staging area as long as work is going on. DOT 
officials expect that the staging area will remain in place until June.

3) The construction repair work began on I-40 Monday. Weekday 
construction may only occur between 8 PM and 6 AM. The contractor may 
also work on nine weekends from 8 PM Friday through 6 AM Monday. He 
must identify those weekends and must avoid special event weekends, 
including the "tax-free" weekend that precedes the beginning of the 
school year.

Much traffic will be diverted from I-40 to 147-Durham Freeway 
proceeding to I-85 then to the I-85/I-40 juncture. This will clearly 
have an impact on the travel along 147 through the center of Durham.

Both NC DOT and The News & Observer have set up special websites to 
report on the construction. The sites are:
http://www.ncdot.org/projects/i40repaving/
http://www.newsobserver.com/1538

I hope you find this information helpful. As I learn more, I will be 
happy to share it.

As Sergeant Esterhaus used to say on Hill Street Blues: "Let's be 
careful out there."

Please feel free to cost post to other listservs.

Mike Woodard
City Council