DOT: US 401 won't reopen until late July after weekend washout
Dozens of roads across the state remain closed after heavy rains on Saturday cause flooding that sometimes washed out the roadway, state officials said Monday.
Posted — UpdatedU.S. Highway 401 near the Wake-Franklin county line and N.C. Highway 97 near Zebulon are the only major routes still closed, state Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said. Another 40-plus secondary roads in the Triangle and in counties northwest of Charlotte also are closed, he said.
Alexander, Caldwell and Catawba counties remain under a state of emergency, and more than 80 swift-water rescues have been conducted across the region since Friday night, officials said.
Heavy rain caused sections of U.S. 401 to collapse between N.C. Highway 96 and N.C. Highway 98 in northeastern Wake County. Video of the damage shows water rushing through where the highway washed out.
"[It was] more rain than I've ever seen fall in the 62 years of my life," Jackie Thompson, who farms in the area, said Monday. "It's created a lot of troubles for our crops. The highways are here that we're prohibited from going on because they're washed out has caused a little problem for us as well. But we're resilient. We'll get through it the best we can."
Crews were able to respond before someone got hurt, but the state Department of Transportation said Tuesday morning that the highway won't reopen until late July. That's a month earlier than initial forecasts.
"Most of the primary roads in North Carolina are designed by standard to meet 50-year storms," Trogdon said during a news conference. "Seven and a half inches [of rain] in four hours ... that's a 1,000-year storm event."
About 20,000 vehicles travel along that stretch of highway daily, Trogdon said – he estimated that 70 percent of Franklin County residents work in Wake County, with U.S. 401 being a primary route – so Department of Transportation officials are trying to repair as quickly as possible.
U.S. 401 was already in the process of being widened from two lanes to four lanes in the area, so a contractor is on site, Trogdon said DOT engineers are meeting with the contractor to determine what extra work now needs to be done.
A precast concrete culvert to direct water under the highway is in production, he said, but it's unclear whether the state can get that from the factory sooner than planned.
Drivers are being detoured 3 miles to follow N.C. 98 to N.C. 96 back to U.S. 401.
"It's pretty tough on us. We've got a landscaping business that we run in this area, so trying to get around all the roadblocks is pretty tough," business owner Bryant Murphy said.
Resident R.T. Arnold said he doesn't know any other way to get to Louisburg than U.S. 401, but resident Elizabeth Albright said having to take a detour is making her a better navigator.
The Wake County Public School System issued a statement Sunday reminding students and parents that school buses may be late Monday as drivers navigate wet roads.
DOT crews reopened N.C. Highway 96 near Zebulon on Monday afternoon, but N.C. 97 remains closed near the Little River, which was swollen from the heavy rains upstream.
The Zebulon Police Department posted, "The water has receded, however...this still does not make the bridge safe or passable. Do NOT attempt. Do NOT move our barricades put in place for your convenience."
An inspection Monday afternoon revealed more damage than initially anticipated, according to the DOT, and repairs are expected to last until June 22. A detour will follow Currin Perry, Green Pace and Water Tower roads.
"It is an inconvenience, but if it means that we're going to be safe, it needs to be closed," driver Cathleen Perry said.
The road closure may have played a role in a collision Monday afternoon. A driver said she was trying to negotiate the detour on Green Pace Road when her car hit a pickup. Both drivers are expected to be OK.
The following locations that experienced flooding and damage are expected to reopen by Tuesday:
- Halifax Road north of N.C. 96 near Rolesville
- Barham Siding Road north of N.C. 96 near Rolesville
- Watkins Town Road north of Old Milburnie Road near Rolesville
- Country Club Road at Moccasin Creek near Zebulon
In addition to U.S. 401 and N.C. 97, the following road closures are expected to take longer to repair:
- Moores Pond Road north of Bud Wall Road near Youngsville, estimated to reopen June 22
- Billy Hopkins Road north of Fowler Road near Zebulon, estimated to reopen July 30
- Mitchell Mill Road south of N.C. 96 near Rolesville, estimated to reopen July 30
"This weekend was part of our new normal when it comes to weather," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "Sudden and severe weather can strike at any time."
A section of the Bryan Center at Duke University also was flooded after water pressure from a clogged drainpipe busted out a pane of glass and allowed water inside, spokesman Keith Lawrence said. The pressure was so intense that some metal framing in the walls crumpled.
About 2 feet of water flooded the offices of some student groups and some prayer and meditation rooms, Lawrence said. About 15 workers have been moved to different offices, he said.
No one was inside at the time, so there were no injuries.
"The Bryan Center is open. The bookstore is open. The restaurants are open. The ATMs are open. So, to the public, all of this would be unobserved and would not affect them in the slightest," he said.
Lawrence couldn't estimate the cost of the damage, but he said the whole area will be restored, probably by the time students return in the fall.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
