Workers begin final phase of I-40/I-77 project in Statesville

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) – The morning commute in the Statesville area is getting a little trickier as construction crews enter the final phase of the massive Interstate 40/Interstate 77 project.

On Sunday night, crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation closed the East Broad Street loop ramp to I-77 North.

East Broad Street is south of the I-40/I-77 interchange but that traffic feeds into the interchange traffic. DOT says this is so workers can build and tie in a new loop.

DOT describes the full project as a partial turbine interchange that’s being built at the two interstates.

The $260 million project was started in 2012. NCDOT says this work will help improve congestion as well as safety.

The interchange currently sees more than 70,000 vehicles per day, and traffic is projected to grow to 110,000 vehicles per day by 2035.

Construction on the ramp is expected to take up to eight weeks. Watch the video below for a detour.

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