I-440 repaving project underway, drivers see some relief

The project currently underway between Lake Boone Trail and Wake Forest Road is giving the beltline a much-needed makeover.

“Actually had two different chips in my windshield during that time so it was kind of frustrating,” said Sandy Murray, driver.

The cracked pavement has only gotten worse over recent years. So much worse, NCDOT moved up the timeline for repairs.

“For a while, I totally avoided it because it would give you not a roller coaster ride but a feeling like you were gonna shake things up a bit too much,” said Leslie Coman, driver.

That work started back in April and not only can you see what’s completed, you can feel the difference.

“It’s not just a smoother ride but a whole lot safer for people traveling on that road,” said Coman.

Crews wrapped up eastbound work within the last week.

“It’s wonderful. It’s a major, major difference. I travel that quite often and my husband travels it a lot for work each day and we’re thrilled,” said Murray.

Now the focus of the 26 million dollar project shifts to the westbound lanes of traffic. That’s where drivers say some of the worst spots are.

But soon, it will be smooth sailing in both directions along this stretch of the beltline.

“I can’t wait til that’s complete,” Murray.

Right on track, you can see the difference behind me at the ridge road exit. Because of these improvements, more drivers are ready to hit the road along the beltline once again.

“They’re doing a lot of construction which I know it’s needed because of traffic but we’ll all be glad when it’s done,” said Coman.

Crews hope to finish the repaving work in the next 2 to 3 months. The bridge repairs and drainage fixes won’t be complete until next fall, but everything is going according to plan.