Nighttime lane closures on I-440 to extend into weekend

Crews began milling out the rumble strips along the outside lanes on I-440 West and East between the I-40/440/U.S. Highway 64 split and the bridge over Crabtree Creek on Monday, but work to repave those surfaces has been delayed due to cold temperatures. 

Officials said Wednesday that asphalt will not set properly when the temperature is below 50 degrees. 

Crews will work on Thursday night to finish grinding down rumble strips, and the repaving of the outside lanes will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. 

Weather permitting, crews will close lanes between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., with the start time of work remaining flexible based on traffic volume. Work could be delayed until as late as 11 p.m. on each night if traffic is heavy.

Drivers should use caution when accessing the shoulder in the work area, as the milling work on the rumble strips is expected to leave about a 1.5-inch drop between the outside lanes and the shoulders in both directions. Uneven pavement signs will be installed, and the shoulders will be lined with barrels, officials said.

Crews will also continue work next week on an asphalt plant in the median of the split. The work will occur during the day, but no lane closures will be required, DOT officials said.

Nighttime lane closures on I-440 are expected to continue until work is halted for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Daytime lane closures could begin in early December, and the 2.5-mile section of I-440 that is part of the rebuild will be complete by late 2014.

Crews will then move to I-40, with daytime lane closures beginning late in 2014. The entire project should be complete by the fall of 2016, DOT officials said.