Motorists traveling along U.S. Highway 70 in the James City corridor over the weekend should expect a temporary traffic pattern as work begins on the Thurman Road interchange bridge.
State transportation officials said Wednesday that, weather permitting, U.S. 70 westbound lane closures are scheduled from 5 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday. U.S. 70 eastbound lane closures will then take place from 5 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday.
Supporter Spotlight
As part of this phase, crews are to install reduced conflict intersections, or RCIs, with temporary traffic signals near the intersection of Thurman Road and U.S. 70 to manage traffic flow. This is the third of five planned along the U.S. 70 Improvements in the James City corridor.
RCIs, often referred to as a superstreet, a synchronized street or a median U-turn, describes the different designs that can be installed to improve safety and traffic flow on a highway, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
In advance of implementing the RCIs, sections of East Thurman Road and West Thurman Road will be closed between U.S. 70 and service roads from 5 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday.
“Intersections along U.S. 70 in James City are being converted to interchanges without traffic signals, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times. The Thurman Road interchange will allow for fluid cross street traffic under the highway, with roundabouts on both sides to manage the flow of traffic. Bridge construction marks the final stage of construction before the interchange is complete,” officials said.
The estimated $3.22 million James City corridor project began in 2022 to improve traffic on the 5.1-mile stretch of U.S. 70 from east of Thurman Road to the Neuse River Bridge in James City.
Supporter Spotlight
Project plans include updating Williams, Airport, Grantham and Thurman roads and Taberna Way in James City into interchanges by taking U.S. 70 over these cross streets and providing access via ramps. These five intersections will become new highway exits for the future Interstate 42. The project is expected to be complete in 2027.
Travelers are encouraged to sign up for project updates and traffic alerts by providing an email address or cell phone number on the project website.
The project team is available to answer any questions by email at US70-JamesCity@publicinput.com, or by calling 1-855-925-2801 and enter code 7872 when prompted.
