Fortify

Fortify lane shifts begin on I-40 West as work ramps up

Construction crews working in the Fortify zone in south Raleigh began a significant lane shift early Friday near the Lake Wheeler Road exit.

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Work on I-440 nearly done in Fortify zone
RALEIGH, N.C. — Construction crews working in the Fortify zone in south Raleigh began a significant lane shift early Friday near the Lake Wheeler Road exit.

Traffic cones blocking the left lane and median were put up on Interstate 40 West at about midnight, and crews will take the next several nights to shift traffic between Lake Wheeler Road and U.S. Highway 1/64 in Cary, officials said.

The lane closures will allow crews to safely install pavement markings and put traffic onto the widened outside shoulder, which will serve as a travel lane for at least the next year.

Traffic will be in its usual three-lane pattern during morning commute and daytime hours.

Officials said it could take seven nights of work to complete westbound lane shifts through Cary. Then, crews will switch to the eastbound lanes, working from Cary back to Lake Wheeler Road.

Once the lane shift is finalized, crews will begin their work to rebuild the median and inside lane in both directions.

More significant changes will be coming in July in the rest of the work zone between Lake Wheeler Road and the I-40/440 split. There will be additional lane shifts and lane reductions, including converting the four and five-lane sections of the interstate to three lanes in both directions.

Eventually, the entire 8.5-mile work zone will have traffic in a three-lane pattern in both directions. That three-lane capacity is expected to remain in effect until the entire new roadway opens in the fall of 2016.

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