Live in Glen Laurel or Summerlyn neighborhoods? Work at Caterpillar? Maybe you're headed to Flowers Plantation?
Have you noticed where construction crews have paved new lanes from the Hess gas station and Old NC 42 that run down to the Clayton Fire Station 2? Well,
N.C. Department of Transportation moved traffic ONTO those new lanes on Saturday, November 3rd. The shift will remain into the summer.
The shift is part of a project to widen N.C. 42 from U.S. 70 Business to just east of Glen Laurel Road. By shifting traffic, crews with Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh will be able to install two large concrete cross line drainage pipes under the existing lanes of N.C. 42. Similar pipes have been installed under the new lanes that traffic will use during the shift.
NCDOT awarded a $5.9 million contract in April to Fred Smith Co. for this project, which includes widening N.C. 42 from two to four lanes divided by a raised median. Breaks in the median will be included along N.C. 42, allowing motorists to make left turns. Signalized breaks will be installed at U.S. 70 Business, Caterpillar Industrial Plant Drive and Glen Laurel Road. A signalized cross-over will be installed at the fire station for emergency vehicles, as well as at the truck entrance for Caterpillar. A non-signalized extra wide turnaround will be installed on N.C. 42 just past Old N.C. 42 to allow for tractor-trailer traffic traveling east to turn and travel west.
Work is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1, 2013. All planting and reforestation will be completed no later than March 28, 2014.
N.C. 42 east of Clayton is a heavily traveled commuter route. In 2008, the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) count was 20,000 on the two-lane road. It is estimated that the current ADT is between 21,000 and 22,000. Due to the large amount of traffic on this route, widening N.C. 42 was ranked as a high-priority project for this region.
Traffic will be maintained on N.C. 42 during construction with occasional lane closures during non-peak hours. There may be some night work. Motorists can expect to experience traffic shifts as crews work at the railroad crossing near U.S. 70 Business.
For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit
www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter at
www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter. Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type “m.ncdot.gov” into the browser of your smartphone. Then, bookmark it to save for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.
Please be patient drivers during this shift! Just close your eyes and picture when it will soon be 4 lanes! Ah!!! That blissful driving will be here before you know it!