NCDOT to close section of I-40 East in Catawba County nightly

January 17, 2012

The N.C. Department of Transportation started overnight closures of I-40 East in Catawba County Monday Jan. 16, for concrete pavement grooving, weather permitting. The closures will extend through Conover from Exit 130 to Exit 133 starting at 9 p.m. each night until 6 a.m. the next morning.

Once the eastbound section is completed, crews will do the same work on I-40 West in the same area. Each section is expected to take three days to complete, weather permitting.

The closures are necessary for work crews to complete concrete pavement grooving on sections of the interstate. The work will include grinding the old concrete down to a smooth surface prior to resurfacing. The pavement grooving will help improve wet weather driving by reducing the potential for hydroplaning.

Through traffic will take the following signed detour: Exit 130 to U.S. 70 East and back on I-40 at Exit 133. When the westbound grinding begins, traffic will reverse directions.

For real-time travel information at any time, call 511 or check the overhead message boards along I-40. Motorists also can visit www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter at www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter.

Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type "m.ncdot.gov" into the browser of your smartphone. Then, bookmark it to save for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.