Late-night drivers around Lake Norman are in for a detour this weekend, as the ramp from N.C. 150 onto I-77 north at Exit 36 is set to shut down overnight so crews can keep chipping away at the interstate widening project.
The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to close the ramp just after midnight on both Friday and Saturday nights, with traffic restored by 5 a.m. each morning, according to The Charlotte Observer. Drivers can expect posted detours and crews working throughout the interchange area while the ramp is shut.
Westbound traffic on N.C. 150 will be detoured left onto Talbert Road, then right on Brawley School Road and back onto I-77 north at Exit 35. Eastbound drivers will be routed via Williamson Road to Brawley School Road, then onto I-77 north at Exit 35, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Project background and scope
The overnight closures are part of a $249 million project to widen about 6.9 miles of N.C. 150 from Greenwood Road in Terrell to U.S. 21 in Mooresville and to rebuild the I-77 interchange, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. NCDOT says the new N.C. 150 bridge over I-77 will ultimately span 160 feet and carry up to 10 travel lanes as work is phased in, a design meant to ease the chronic bottleneck at the Lake Norman interchange, per a separate N.C. Department of Transportation update.
What crews are doing now
Crews are currently installing storm drainage, coordinating utility relocations, moving traffic signals and putting up temporary walls to separate work zones from active traffic, according to The Charlotte Observer, which cited an NCDOT news release. Those tasks often require short overnight ramp and lane closures so workers can operate safely without snarling daytime traffic.
How to avoid delays
Drivers are urged to build in extra travel time, follow posted detours and consider using Exit 35 as an alternate while the Exit 36 ramp is closed. For live lane-closure information and traffic maps, check DriveNC.gov. For background on the broader project and previous overnight work, see Hoodline’s earlier coverage of lane closures and new bridge construction.
Work will continue in phases throughout the life of the contract, with major tie-ins and bridge construction scheduled over the next several years. Drivers should expect occasional overnight ramp and lane closures as milestones are reached, with transportation officials saying the night work is intended to keep daytime congestion in check while new lanes and bridges come online.
