Traffic delays to be gone by holiday

Traffic on U.S. 70 West between two exits to New Bern was funneled into one lane

mid-day Monday as transportation workers made repairs.

Reed Smith, district two engineer for N.C. transportation department, said the lane closing between the Pembroke and Dr. M.L. King Jr. Boulevard exits “was DOT maintenance crews repairing some washouts under the guard rail on U.S. 70.”

A culmination of weather events caused the damage, he said.

“It’s not uncommon but the recent rains have not helped things,” Smith said. “We have to generally go around and repair every now and then.”

Smith said DOT maintenance crews in the area have had some work specifically related to heavy rain that have poured more than 10 inches of new water on much of the region over the last week and continued on Monday.

“With the rains there have been some pipes we’ve had to replace in the last couple of weeks,” Smith said.

Most of the other work in the area this week will not involve lane closings, Smith said. “We’re making an effort not to do any lane closures during the holidays.”

Likewise, scheduled City of New Bern work should leave streets passable for the holidays, said Danny Meadows, interim city manager.

DOT plans to suspend most road construction activities over the Thanksgiving holiday to help ease traffic delays and improve driving conditions throughout the state.

Most projects along interstates, N.C. and U.S. routes will be suspended beginning at 4 p.m., Tuesday until 9 a.m., Monday, Nov. 30.

Exceptions include one of three lanes on I-85 North and I-85 South at the interchange with N.C. 62 at Exit 113 near High Point due to construction of the U.S. 311 Bypass; one lane of U.S. 220 South at the Randolph/Montgomery County line due to the construction of rest areas; and one lane of U.S. 17 at Windsor in Bertie County on the Cashie River Bridge due to construction.

I-40 remains closed at mile marker 2.6, near the Tennessee state line, after an Oct. 25 rockslide.  A detour which adds 53 miles to the trip has been set up.

Both lanes of N.C. 12 for about a half mile north of Rodanthe is open to traffic now through the holidays following damage from ocean overwash last week due to a nor’easter. On Nov. 30, reconstruction of the highway will resume and lane closures to a single lane of traffic will be in place.

Smith’s advice to holiday travelers: “Be safe.”

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5666 or sbook@freedomenc.com.