CONCORD – Motorists traveling on N.C. 49 approaching Zion Church Road will soon encounter a new traffic pattern, thanks to a $1.7 million contract the N.C. Department of Transportation awarded over the summer.
Contractor NJR Group Inc. of Albemarle will convert the existing intersection to a reduced conflict intersection, or RCI. The RCI simplifies traffic movements by removing the number of conflict points, or possible locations, where vehicles can collide.
Side-street traffic is redirected to turn right to enter the flow of traffic, while drivers wanting to go in the opposite direction simply enter a lane to make a U-turn. This design reduces the risk of collisions and allows drivers to travel more quickly through the corridor.
A permanent change in the pattern will see drivers approaching N.C. 49 from the side roads turning right, then making a U-turn to reach their destination.
Contract crews have mobilized equipment to the project site and are installing daytime lane closures to complete the project. The contract does not permit lane closures on either road during the morning or afternoon commutes, only in non-peak travel hours. The roadway portion of the project should be complete by the end of fall, with landscaping and vegetation establishment ongoing into the spring of 2027.
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