Fortify work beginning to pick up on I-440

Relatively warmer weather has helped Granite Construction workers in recent days, state Department of Transportation officials said Friday. 

Interstate 440 West has been reduced to two lanes from the Interstate 40/440 split to U.S. Highway 64/264, and concrete barriers that will remain in place through late May are now in place. Crews will begin ripping up large sections of the highway in the coming days. 

Once it is pulled up, the asphalt will be tested to see if it can be reused during the project. Rubble that passes those tests will be crushed up and used in the asphalt plant that is in the work zone. The plant should begin producing asphalt during the second week of March.

DOT officials said as many as 5,000 tons of rubble will be looked at in the next few days as crews rip up parts of the highway. 

On I-440 East, warmer weather should allow crews to complete lane closures within the next week to 10 days. Milling and striping work between U.S. 64/264 and the I-40/440 split will resume Sunday night, and orange barrels and concrete barriers will be installed gradually over the next several nights.

Lane closures on I-440 East will also be in place through late May. 

Once that section of I-440 is replaced, the crews move on to the bigger piece of the Fortify project – replacing pavement on the stretch of I-40 that circles south of downtown Raleigh.

Work on bridges on I-40 has already started, officials said Friday. Crews have been doing nighttime prep work to widen bridges, and they are also continuing work to install a temporary bridge near the I-40/440 split that will allow trucks access to the asphalt plant and parts of the work zone without the trucks needing to use travel lanes.