Charlotte’s I-85/I-485 turbine interchange, completing I-485 and widening I-85 in Charlotte’s Outer Loop, has been dubbed by the “Roads and Bridges” magazine as the number one road project in North America for 2012. The rankings are based on work capacity, regional impact and project challenges.
The turbine interchange idea, the first of its kind in North Carolina, was designed by Lane Construction/STV-Ralph Whitehead Associates. It will save an estimated $40 million by circling all left-turning traffic clockwise around a central bridge. The interchange, which is estimated to be completed in June 2014, will improve traffic in the Metrolina region with a unified transition between I-85 and I-485.
More details on these projects can be found on the North Carolina Department of Transportation website.