Expect a year of detours when the state revamps the notoriously congested interchange at Interstates 85 and 485 in west Charlotte beginning in 2025, N.C. Department of Transportation officials said in a recent update.
The project moved forward in November when North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said he was allocating $45 million in House Contingency funds to accelerate the redesign, The Charlotte Observer reported at the time.
Moore called the interchange one of the most congested in the state.
The money will fund the design and construction of a revamped I-85 and I-485 interchange in western Mecklenburg County, near Gaston County and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Detour options and how to give feedback
The state will detour traffic because the Sam Wilson Road bridge over I-85 will be closed for a year during construction of the revamped interchange, according to the project update on NCDOT.gov.
Two detours are being considered :
▪ A west detour option called the blue route – Sam Wilson to Performance Road to Moores Chapel Road to U.S. 29/74.