Year-long road closures to begin Wednesday night as part of I-440 and Blue Ridge Road improvements

Construction for the Interstate 440 widening project on the west side of Raleigh means road closures and new detours near the Wade Avenue interchange.

Beginning on Wednesday night, Oct. 26, the intersection of Blue Ridge and Beryl roads will be closed, 24/7 for an entire year.

Closures at I-440 and Wade Avenue interchange begin Friday and will take place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., mainly affecting overnight drivers.

The widening of Interstate 440 will coincide with lowering the grade of Blue Ridge Road and constructing new bridges for Hillsborough Street, the railroad tracks and Beryl Road. The goal is to reduce traffic congestion and train-related conflicts with vehicles and pedestrians.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said it’s important that drivers pay attention to signs and drive carefully.

A detour will have traffic follow Pylon Drive, Blue Ridge Road, Western Boulevard and Powell Drive from one side of the construction zone to the other.

“Drivers just need to keep their heads up," said Kim Deaner with the NCDOT. "They need to pay attention to what the signs are saying. They need to pay attention on those construction zones because it can be very dangerous with everyone trying to navigate roads.”

Starting Friday, overnight closures are scheduled to begin at the Wade Avenue interchange for about 10 nights so crews can set girders for a new bridge.