Road construction will snarl traffic on Charlotte area roads and interstates for years to come according to a detailed schedule of major road projects. When it’s all finished, the outer loop will be complete, parts of I-85 will be widened and Independence Boulevard would be an expressway.
I-485 Completion
• Will complete the 67 mile Outer Loop around Charlotte.
• 8 lane freeway from east of N.C. 115 to I-85.
• Project cost is $139.5 million.
• Construction began in July 2011; anticipated to be complete. Contractor has completed 56% of project.
I-85 / I-485 Interchange
December 2014
• More cost effective and reduces impact to traffic during construction. Project cost is $92 million, a 25% savings from the original estimate. This type of interchange will also create a high-speed, easy transition to I-85 or I-485.
• Project started in September 2011 and will be completed next summer. Contractor has completed 58% of project June 2014 completion.
I-85 Widening
• Widening 7 miles of I-85 from south of Bruton Smith Boulevard to north of N.C. 73.
• Expanding I-85 from four lanes to eight lanes.
• Two interchanges (Poplar Tent Road and N.C. 73) will be diverging diamonds.
• Project cost is $125 million.
• Completion of I-85 lanes to George Liles Pkwy December 2013.
I-485 Expansion (South Charlotte)
• $83.3 million project Widening 9.2 miles of I-485 from four to six lanes between I-77 and Rea Road. Project began in October 2012; contractor has proposed an aggressive schedule to complete the project by
December 2014, 23 months ahead of anticipated completion.
Independence Boulevard / US 74 Widening
• $51 million project started in April. 2 miles of Independence Boulevard will be converted to an expressway between Albemarle Road and Wallace Lane. Completion is scheduled for October 2015.
