Overnight closures will send I-40 drivers on a detour east of Raleigh

Drivers heading east from Raleigh into Johnston County on Interstate 40 may find the road closed overnight in the next week or so.

Starting Thursday, Dec. 2, contractors expect to close eastbound I-40 at the U.S. 70 Bypass interchange so they can place girders for new bridges over the highway. The closures are expected to begin at 11 p.m. and last through 6 the following morning, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Weather permitting, the closures will take place each weeknight through Dec. 9. That includes two Fridays, when people may be headed home after a night out.

Eastbound drivers will be directed on a detour on U.S. 70 Bypass to N.C. 42 and back to I-40 in the Cleveland community. Westbound I-40 traffic will not be affected.

The new bridge is part of what will be a massive interchange where I-40 and U.S. 70 Bypass will meet N.C. 540, also known as the Triangle Expressway. The six-lane toll road between I-40 and N.C. 55 in Holly Springs is expected to open in the spring of 2024.

For the latest information about closures on I-40, go to NCDOT’s real-time traffic website, DriveNC.gov.