Rain halts paving work, and traffic, on Raleigh’s Falls of Neuse Road at I-540
Traffic at Falls of Neuse Road and Interstate 540 was worse than normal Monday morning, after unfinished paving work closed several lanes and the entrance ramp to westbound I-540.
Contractors spent much of Sunday repaving Falls of Neuse between I-540 and Durant Road and were supposed to finish by 6 a.m. Monday.
But rain Monday morning delayed finishing the southbound lanes, according to Kim Deaner, spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Transportation. Traffic on Falls of Neuse was restricted to one lane in each direction.
In addition, the ramp from Falls of Neuse onto westbound I-540, toward Durham and Research Triangle Park, was closed. Traffic at that ramp is heavy enough in the mornings that NCDOT installed traffic signals known as “ramp meters” to moderate the flow of cars onto the highway.
The off ramp from westbound I-540 onto Falls of Neuse was also closed.
Raleigh police urged drivers to seek alternate routes, but for most it was too late.
Deaner said paving crews would resume their work when the rain stops, which was expected to happen later Monday morning.
“We anticipate completing the work and reopening all lanes by late afternoon, ahead of rush hour,” she wrote in an email.
By 2 p.m., all lanes of Falls of Neuse had reopened north of I-540.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Rain halts paving work, and traffic, on Raleigh’s Falls of Neuse Road at I-540."
