North Carolina Construction News staff writer
N.C. Department of Transportation is about to begin a geotechnical investigation tied to the future widening of the highway.
The work will allow engineers to study soil and subsurface conditions beneath the road’s surface. The information will help guide the design of a new, wider bridge over the South Fork Catawba River, just north of McAdenville.
The planned project will expand about 10 miles of I-85 from the U.S. 321 interchange (Exit 17) in Gastonia to the N.C. 273 interchange (Exit 27) in Belmont. Once complete, the highway will grow from six to eight lanes to accommodate increasing traffic demands.
In addition to widening the interstate, NCDOT will replace or rehabilitate several bridges and interchanges, including highway and railroad crossings, to improve traffic flow and safety.
The project is divided into three sections:
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Widening I-85 from U.S. 321 (Exit 17) to west of N.C. 7 (Exit 23), along with improvements to Cox Road and U.S. 29/74 in Gastonia.
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Widening I-85 from west of N.C. 7 (Exit 23) to east of N.C. 273 (Exit 27), including upgrades to N.C. 7 and U.S. 29/74 in Belmont.
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Replacing two Norfolk Southern Railroad bridges, one P&N Railroad bridge and the bridge on Groves Street in Lowell.
NCDOT awarded a $337 million contract to Lane Construction Corp. earlier this year for the first segment of the project, which includes adding one lane in each direction between N.C. 7 and N.C. 273, rehabilitating or replacing several bridges and modifying interchanges to improve traffic mobility.
That segment is currently in design, with construction expected to begin in summer 2026.
The first phase is funded for $587.7 million in highway work and $65.3 million in associated improvements.
Public meetings for the project have not yet been scheduled.