Days of rain won't delay progress on I-40 Fortify project

Twelve days of measurable rain won't make a measurable difference in the deadline for the Interstate 40 repaving project known as Fortify, according to Steve Abbott, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

"Weather only affects the schedule on a long-term project like Fortify if it is something that goes on for several weeks," Abbott said.

While crews could not make progress on a planned lane shift in the westbound lanes because they could not paint new stripes, Abbott said crews in work zones established before the rain began to fall were able to continue working through most of last week.

Abbott explained that any major project contract factors in days for weather delays.

"In this case, getting all the road open again in late Fall 2016 is so far away that it is easy to catch up on the work," he said.