NCDOT: Name I-40/440 project and get 'bragging rights'

Department officials on Monday called for submissions to their contest to find a catchy name like Carmageddon, the moniker for a major highway closure in Los Angeles, or Crawlumbus, which was given to a three-year project in Columbus, Ohio.

The winning name will be used in all future references to the $168 million project, including on the project website.The winner will also retain "bragging rights," officials said.

The major rebuild of 11 miles of I-40/440 – from U.S.  Highway 1 in Cary to U.S. Highway 64/264 in Raleigh – will require lane closures, sometimes leaving only two lanes. Officials said the section of highway is 30 years old, and workers must dig at least 2 feet to remove and replace concrete and asphalt on the road, shoulders and ramps.

Contest entries must be submitted to lrfriedman@ncdot.gov by 5 p.m. on Aug. 10.

The name should be one or two words and must not contain profanity. NCDOT employees will pick the five best names and put them to a public vote on www.ncdot.gov from Aug. 14 to 17.