Buffalo Road Widening Project To Begin This Month

UPDATE June 3rd – The NC DOT now says the road improvement project will begin in July 2020 and not in June 2020 as originally reported.

ARCHER LODGE – Work will begin this month on improving the safety of a half-mile section of Buffalo Road in northern Johnston County.

The N.C. Department of Transportation in March awarded a $953,920 to widen the road to three lanes between its two legs of Lake Wendell Road north of Archer Lodge. The widening will create a center turn lane, allowing drivers to safely turn left without impeding through traffic.

Additionally, the contractor will realign both intersections of Lake Wendell Road with Buffalo Road to improve the sight distance. The intersections are now skewed, meaning they approach Buffalo Road on an angle. The realignment will straighten the intersections, making it easier for drivers on Lake Wendell Road to see oncoming traffic when they approach the intersection.

Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh plans to start construction toward the end of June. The company will have until the end of this year to complete the project.

The affected roads will not be closed during construction, but drivers can expect to encounter lane closures during the project. The contractor, however, will not close lanes during the morning and afternoon rush hour.