NCDOT: New 485 Stretch Will Open Friday Afternoon

A new stretch of Interstate 485 is now scheduled to open on Friday afternoon, North Carolina Department of Transportation officials announced Thursday.

The latest leg of the Mecklenburg County loop stretches 5.5 miles from N.C. 16/Brookshire Boulevard to N.C. 115/Old Statesville Road. It has interchanges at Harris Boulevard, Interstate 77 and Old Statesville Road.

The NCDOT has missed several deadlines for the roadway originally scheduled to be finished in March 2007. Most recently, it was supposed to open Thursday after an inspection found drainage issues Tuesday, but NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Thompson said Wednesday afternoon that the road was not ready and the department would not name another deadline.

Thompson said construction will continue along the I-485 stretch so drivers should be on the lookout for shoulder closures. Also, the traffic lights at I-485 and Harris Boulevard have not been completed so there are two stop signs at each ramp and the area will have a modified traffic pattern for about a week.

The new stretch is supposed to open at 2 p.m.

SLIDESHOW: I-485 Construction Will Not Finish On Time In Northwest Charlotte RELATED STORY: Now No Deadline For Opening New Section Of I-485RELATED STORY: NCDOT Again Postpones Opening Of New I-485 LegRELATED STORY: Contractor For I-485 Says Road Will Not Open On TimeRELATED STORY: Next Leg Of I-485 Could Steer Future Of Northlake Mall AreaRELATED STORY: I-485 Contractor Talks With Eyewitness News About DelaysRELATED STORY: Company Blames NCDOT For Delay In Completing I-485 LegRELATED STORY: Completion Date For I-485 Pushed BackMAP: NCDOT I-485 Project MapMAP: Previous I-485 Completion Dates