Winston-Salem, NC -- Travel on Union Cross Road in Winston-Salem will soon be easier and safer for motorists.
N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti awarded a $30.3 million contract on Thursday to widen 4.2 miles of the road from Sedge Garden Road north of I-40 to just south of U.S. 311.
The majority of the road will be widened to two lanes in each direction, but at the I-40/Union Cross Road interchange, it will be widened to three lanes in each direction.
The project also includes upgrading the Union Cross Road/I-40 interchange to a diverging diamond interchange - one of the first in the state and one of only a few across the country.
The DDI is unique, because it allows traffic moving in two directions to temporarily cross to the left side of the road. The DDI will provide drivers with easier access to I-40, and help eliminate the congestion and crashes that occur when vehicles back up on the ramps.
Currently, 25,000 cars travel along this portion of Union Cross Road daily, but that number is expected to rise to 41,000 a day by 2031.
The improvements will prepare for and accommodate the future residential and commercial growth anticipated in the area.
Utility relocation is now under way. Construction is scheduled to start as early as April 16, with final completion set for Nov. 15, 2015.
The contract was awarded to a local company, Larco Construction - A Division of Branscome Inc. of Winston-Salem.
This is one of 39 contracts totaling $203.2 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina.
NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 2.9 percent, or about $6.2 million, below NCDOT estimates.
Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 511 highway contracts totaling $3.8 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
NCDOT