RALEIGH – A big step in the Capital Boulevard bridge replacements project is expected to take place this weekend.
The contractor plans to switch northbound Capital Boulevard traffic onto the new bridge over Peace Street and open the new off-ramp from northbound Capital Boulevard to Peace Street. The moves are conditional on the weather and if all the prep work for the shifts is completed.
The process will require lane closures. They would start at 7 p.m. on Friday with the closure of the outside northbound lane at the southern end of the project, where new exit ramp ties into Capital Boulevard.
A complete closure of Peace Street under Capital Boulevard will be required from midnight until 5 a.m. Saturday to enable the contractor to tie in the bottom of the ramp with Peace Street and close the old loop ramp.
There will be a detour in place during the closure. Eastbound traffic on Peace Street will be sent onto North Harrington Street, West Jones Street and North Wilmington Street to get back to Peace Street. Westbound traffic will use North Salisbury Street, West Lane Street and North Harrington Street.
Once that work is complete, Peace Street and the ramp will open and the traffic shift onto the new bridge can begin. The shift will require alternating lane closures on northbound Capital Boulevard that could last until Saturday night.
The two inside lanes will close first to pave, mark and shift them onto the new bridge, followed by a closure of the two outside lanes for paving and marking and to complete the shift.
Drivers are urged to slow down and pay extra attention as they approach and go through the traffic shifts and the detour route. They should anticipate possibly needing extra travel time while the shifts are in progress.
These moves follow similar project milestones that have taken place this year. The new southbound Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street opened in early February, as did the new exit pattern to go from the southbound boulevard to Peace Street using Johnson Street. The ramp-bridge from northbound Capital Boulevard onto westbound Wade Avenue also has opened, and earlier this month, the new ramp-bridge from eastbound Wade Avenue to northbound Capital Boulevard opened to traffic as well.