'Weave' repairs to start by end of year

8.24.2009

Work could begin in December to rebuild the tortured "weave" intersection of N.C. 49, U.S. 29 and I-85. That's three months later than we reported last spring, but city staff have a couple of good reasons - installation of a needed water transmission line, plus a chance to snag federal stimulus money.
Yes, the water line is now in place. No, the project didn't qualify. But local taxpayers will likely get a break anyway, in the form of lower construction costs.
Requests for bids go out for this project in the next couple of weeks. Bren Yett, contracts officer with the city engineering department, expects the bids to come in well below estimates.
"Bids have definitely been lower than normal," Yett said, including a recent project that came in 40 percent below expectations.
Credit the bad economy, for once. The global construction slowdown has led to a drop in the cost of steel, concrete and asphalt, Yett said, and contractors eager for work have flooded the city with very competitive bids.
The weave project will be a big one, taking two-plus years and a lot of traffic snarls to complete. Plans call for replacing two bridges and several merge lanes with two signalized intersections and a new path for University City Boulevard and the I-85 ramp.
Rather than blend into North Tryon Street, University City Boulevard will turn to the right as it approaches Tryon and end at a traffic signal with the recently opened City Boulevard. The change will allow traffic to continue west on City Boulevard to reach I-85.
At the other end of the weave, traffic coming off of I-85 will travel a slightly different path to North Tryon and end at a new signalized intersection across from Sandy Avenue.
The finished project should bring greater freedom of movement for traffic on all three roadways, easy access to northbound I-85 and room down the widened North Tryon Street median for the proposed light-rail line to center city Charlotte.

WANT TO VIEW THE PLAN?
Project details including a map of the finished project are available at http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/City+Engineering/See+Our+Projects/Transportation/Roads/NC+49+-+US+29.htm


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