MONROE – The N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews will temporarily alter traffic patterns on Monday at the U.S. 74/Rocky River Road intersection in Monroe.
The change is part of a $1.9 million project to convert the intersection into a
reduced conflict intersection, or RCI.
Crews must close the center portion of the intersection to safely build out concrete islands in the median. This work will take up to a month to complete, depending on weather.
During this time, drivers on Rocky River Road who wish to turn left first will turn right onto U.S. 74, then make a U-turn at a designated location to go to their desired direction. When this phase of the project is complete, drivers will be able to proceed straight on Rocky River Road across U.S. 74.
As its name implies, a reduced conflict intersection cuts by more than half the potential places where vehicle crashes can occur. The design also improves traffic flow and reduces delays for the main corridor.
When the project is completed later this year, left turns will be removed from the intersection.