Motorists using the controlled-access U.S. 64 approaching the interchange for North Old Carriage Road late at night through early in the morning are temporarily going to have to exit off the highway and use the interchange’s new roundabouts to get back onto the highway.
Crews have been working to improve and widen North Old Carriage from the intersection of Eastern and Sunset avenues to Reges Store and Green Hills roads. The work has included constructing a new four-lane bridge for North Old Carriage over U.S. 64 and shifting North Old Carriage traffic to the new crossing.
N.C. Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Barksdale in a phone interview Tuesday said that the next step is to tear down the now-former two-lane bridge for North Old Carriage over U.S. 64 so the new bridge can be completely built out.
Specifically, Barksdale said that the plan, which was put into effect Wednesday, is to shut down U.S. 64 underneath the now-former bridge and the new bridge from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. daily so crews can knock down the now-former bridge.
Barksdale said that the now-former bridge, which dates back to 1960, is going to be completely removed by May 10.
Crews have been busy working on North Old Carriage.
North Old Carriage in the vicinity of U.S. 64 was closed starting April 8, so crews could complete the pair of roundabouts, which are just on the north and south sides of the new North Old Carriage bridge over the highway.
Crews also used the time to work on converting what had been a two-lane North Old Carriage from Eastern and Sunset and in front of Nash Community College into a superstreet to the interchange with U.S. 64. Crews also used the time to complete a roundabout on North Old Carriage for the main entrance to NCC.
Roundabouts are circle junctions designed to help keep traffic flowing. A superstreet is a divided four-lane route with roundabouts.
What had been a two-lane North Old Carriage north of U.S. 64 has now been relocated and expanded to have two lanes and a center turn lane.
On Friday and for the time being, the right lanes of the new North Old Carriage superstreet from Eastern and Sunset to U.S. 64 and the right lanes of the new North Old Carriage bridge over U.S. 64 were opened to traffic.
The new North Old Carriage from U.S. 64 to Reges Store and Green Hills was also opened to traffic as a two-lane thoroughfare.
Barksdale said Tuesday that the project remains on schedule and is planned to be complete by late this year.
Overall, Barksdale said of the bridgework and roadwork, “I know it has been a big inconvenient thing, but it’ll be a lot better when it’s finished.”
Barksdale said that the transportation department has been pleased with the project and emphasized that when the project is complete, motorists are going to have a four-lane road from Sunset and Eastern to U.S. 64 and over U.S. 64.
“It’s going to work a lot better and function a lot better, with room to grow,” Barksdale said.
He also noted that Nash County is a growing county and that the transportation department has a lot of projects in progress in the county.
Barksdale noted that when roads are built in North Carolina, they are done after being designed for at least 20, sometimes 30 years out.
Of North Old Carriage, he said, “This road will be perfectly functional and perfect for the traffic — even 20 years after it’s built.”
The transportation department in February 2022 announced a $20.3 million contract had been awarded to Barnhill Contracting to transform an increasingly antiquated North Old Carriage in the immediate vicinity of NCC and U.S. 64.
The transportation department has said that the segment of North Old Carriage set to be improved is expected to experience a 50 percent growth in traffic by 2040, from a count of 12,000 vehicles a day up to 18,000 vehicles a day.
Most Popular
Comments / 0