WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- NCDOT, Winston-Salem Emergency Management, North Carolina State Highway Patrol and other groups were watching when they were put to the test: detours during rush hour amid the Business 40 closure.
"All of the planning that we’ve been doing over the past 10-12 years did pay off," explains NCDOT Division Engineer Pat Ivey.
At the emergency operations center at the public safety building in Winston-Salem, you'll see a bunch of screens monitoring traffic at US-52, I-40 and other roadways expected to be used heavily during the closure. Monday morning, Ivey says everything went smoothly.
"People actually listened to what our advice has been over the last several months,"
He's talking about planning routes and planning ahead; drivers giving themselves extra time.
"We did not see any major issues at all in terms of excess congestion," Ivey explains."We were very fortunate that we did not have any major accidents."
If there is an accident, DOT has contracted with towing companies to enact a quick clearance process. What that means is that tow trucks will come in sooner to help clear accidents so traffic can keep flowing.
"The big things that we’re trying to do is keep the incidents out of the road because we need every lane possible that’s out there."
Most drivers we spoke to said they didn't have issues getting around the closure. There was some concern about getting to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, but there are detours in place to get there, too. Map apps like Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps all re-route around the closure. You can also visit drivenc.gov for an active map.
Ivey says they're anticipating the busiest day to be Wednesday, right before Thanksgiving.
"We think everything will continue to operate the way it is today," Ivey says. "Because more people will be used to it and that traffic will sort of level out and people will know which way they’re going to be going."
The project is expected to be completed in up to two years.