HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — An overnight detour will be in place for drivers of Interstate 77 southbound in Huntersville this week.
From 11 p.m. until 5 a.m., the southbound lanes will close at the Gilead Road interchange. Drivers will briefly detour up the Gilead Road exit ramp before re-entering the highway on the adjacent on-ramp.
The closure allows construction crews to work on a new diverging diamond interchange.
The work begins Thursday night and is repeated nightly until Sunday morning. The roadway will be completely reopened during both morning and evening rush hours.
Diverging diamonds, already installed at the Catawba Avenue interchange, work by directing traffic onto the opposite side of the road than usual. Their intention is to allow easier access to interstates because drivers can enter the interstates without turning in front of oncoming traffic.
Similar interchanges are already present in Charlotte, Concord, Kannapolis, Cornelius, Statesville, and other areas of North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
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