North Carolina DOT Awards $99.2M Contract to Reconstruct Business 40

Drivers in Winston-Salem are a step closer to getting an improved and safer stretch of Business 40 through the city. The Department of Transportation has awarded a $99.2 million contract to reconstruct and streamline a 1.2-mile section of U.S. 421/I-40 Business from west of Fourth Street to east of Church Street, and to construct portions of a multi-use path from Lockland Avenue to Liberty Street.

“Never before in the history of the State of North Carolina has Business 40 been closed in both directions for a highway project, and never before has our community so greatly needed work like this to take place,” says Division 9 Engineer Pat Ivey.

The contract for the Business 40 Improvement Project was awarded to a team comprised of Flatiron Constructors, Inc. / Blythe Development Company Joint Venture and HDR Engineering Inc. This Design-Build Team will develop the design, purchase the right of way, obtain the proper permitting, coordinate the utility relocations, and construct the project, all under a single contract. Initial work will focus on the engineering and design of the project, with construction beginning after environmental permits are issued.

Construction for the Peters Creek Parkway section may begin as early as the summer of 2017 and is anticipated to be completed by the winter of 2018. The main impact of the project, the full closure of Business 40, is expected to start in late 2018/early 2019 only after the Peters Creek Parkway section is completed and opened to traffic. It is anticipated that Business 40 will not be closed for more than two years.

Improvements will include:

• Modernizing the entrance and exit ramps, eliminating some, like the Broad Street interchange, and lengthening others, including at Marshall and Cherry Streets
• Replacing the bridges on and over Business 40 with new structures that will meet current and future traffic demands and will have modern design specifications
• Removing the existing pavement and replacing it with new pavement
• Visual enhancements to the roadway and the bridges

Major highway improvement projects like this are underway across the state as part of Governor McCrory’s 25-Year Vision for Transportation in North Carolina. Its goal is to enhance travel safety and to better connect North Carolinians to jobs, education, healthcare and recreation opportunities.

This is a Design-Build project, which means the design and construction are under a single contract and can take place at the same time. Allowing the design and construction to overlap significantly reduces overall construction time, helps the department avoid cost inflation, allows the contractor to make innovations that save taxpayers money, lessens environmental impacts and alleviates driving delays for motorists.

For more information, click here.

For a full overview of the project, click here.