Nighttime lane closures returning to I-440 during weekend

Crews began milling out the rumble strips on I-440 West and East between the Interstate I-40/440/U.S. Highway 64 split and the bridge over Crabtree Creek more than a week ago, and that work will continue Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, officials said.

Once the strips are shaved down, crews will repave those sections to prepare the shoulders in both directions to become travel lanes. 

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.

With thousands of local drivers expected to travel on area highways next week during the Thanksgiving holiday, crews will not close lanes at all Tuesday through Monday, Dec. 2. 

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.