DOT: Contractor fined $30,000 for not reopening Capital Blvd for Monday commute

Unexpected road construction blocked the southbound lanes of Capital Boulevard during Monday's morning commute, and officials said it was a contract violation.

Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., all southbound lanes were closed near the Peace Street bridge north of downtown Raleigh. Heavy delays were present between the Interstate-440 interchange and Peace Street.

The southbound lanes reopened by 9 a.m., but congestion remained.

According to a spokesperson from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the road work was scheduled to occur overnight and the lanes were supposed to open at 6 a.m. on Monday per a contract.

The spokesperson said the Morrisville-based contractor will be fined $30,000 for violating the contract. According to officials, the contractor was charged $2,500 for each 15 minutes the work continued after it was supposed to end.

The work was part of a 90-day project that will upgrade Capital Boulevard. The project began in July.

During construction, drivers will be detoured away from the Peace Street interchange for about 90 days while the old structure is demolished and the new ramp is constructed, the NCDOT announced Monday.