U.S. 70 Business and Peedin Road Ext. to close at U.S. 70
A project is about to begin that will improve traffic flow along U.S. 70 between Selma and Princeton in Johnston County.
Starting Monday, July 27, the NC Department of Transportation will close a section of U.S. 70 Business/Peedin Road Ext. at the intersection with U.S. 70. This closure will allow crews with Flatiron Constructors Inc. of Broomfield Co. to convert this intersection into an interchange by building a bridge that will carry U.S. 70 Bus./Peedin Road Ext. over U.S. 70 with ramps providing access for traffic in all directions between the two roads.
An average of more than 29,000 vehicles use U.S. 70 through this area daily. This is expected to increase to 45,000 by 2035. Currently traffic on U.S. 70 Bus. and Peedin Road Ext. crossing U.S. 70 has to stop and wait for traffic to clear before crossing U.S. 70. By converting this to an interchange, traffic on U.S. 70 Bus./Peedin Road Ext. will be separated from traffic on U.S. 70, reducing the risk of crossover accidents.
During the closure of U.S. 70 Bus./Peedin Road Ext., traffic will use Firetower Road to cross U.S. 70. Gor-An Farm Road will also be accessible during the closure. U.S. 70 will remain open to traffic during the project, with intermittent overnight lane closures in place in 2016 as crews place steel beams for the bridge.
In order to safely accommodate the increase in traffic on Firetower Road at U.S. 70, the DOT will turn the median crossover on U.S. 70 at this location into a left-over. This means that starting Monday, traffic on Firetower Road will not be able to cross U.S. 70, but traffic on U.S. 70 West will be able to turn left on Firetower Road. Traffic using Firetower Road as a detour route will turn right on U.S. 70 and then proceed to the next break to make a U-turn and turn right to continue on Firetower Road. This traffic pattern change will prevent crossover crashes at this heavily-traveled location. Click here for a map of the new traffic pattern.
In addition to constructing an interchange at this location, the $16.7 million project also includes plans to construct a similar interchange to the east at the intersection of Stevens Chapel Road/Davis Mill Road with U.S. 70. Preliminary work on this project will begin later this month, and the closure of the section of Stevens Chapel Road/Davis Mill Road at U.S. 70 is currently expected to begin this fall.
By closing the road to traffic at these locations, NCDOT is able to expedite the overall construction time of these interchanges by six months to a year.
To help eliminate the possibility of crossover accidents at other locations in this area, crews will also remove the existing median crossovers on U.S. 70 at Firetower Road, Peedin Road/Creech’s Mill Road and Pine Street. Traffic on these routes will be able to turn right onto U.S. 70; however, will have to turn right, proceed to the next break in the median and make a U-turn in order to turn left onto U.S. 70.
All work is expected to be complete by July 2017.
Motorists are advised to use caution while traveling in the area and to expect delays. NCDOT reminds motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.
