I-77 ramp at Business 21 closing

The I-77 northbound on ramp from U.S. 21 Business in Yadkin County will close at 9 a.m. Tuesday so crews can remove old concrete and then rebuild the loop. The ramp will reopen March 14. A detour from the onramp will take traffic into Jonesville via U.S. 21 Business to Valley Road, and then to N.C. 67 and onto I-77.

The closure is part of a $49.5 million project that launched last spring to revitalize five miles of I-77 and ramps in the Elkin area. More than 70 percent of the project is completed to date; full completion is on schedule for Sept. 1, 2021.

Among the steps yet to come in the I-77 project is to smooth any bumps in the newly reconstructed surface. That step will occur at the very end of construction this summer.

“The diamond-grinding is the last major task on this project,” said N.C. Department of Transportation spokesman David Uchiyama. “The final surface will resemble other finished concrete sections of I-77 in the area.”

Uchiyama reminded drivers to slow down and avoid distractions when driving in work zones. For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov.

Lisa Michals may be reached at 336-448-4968 or follow her on Twitter @lisamichals3.