Blythe Crews Adopt Canine "Safety Mascot"
Click here for the story on WSOC-TV News
News Update: August 2008
Look For a New Traffic Pattern on 601 in August
Wednesday morning August 6, Blythe Construction crews will move a section of southbound traffic on US 601 to newly constructed roadway. The shift will begin about a half a mile north of Lansford Road and will end about a mile from the N.C. S.C. state line. The shift will allow crews to work on existing southbound roadway. Vehicles will be in a new traffic pattern, so please drive with extra caution along 601.
As part of this shift, crews will temporarily close the west side of Lansford Road. The closure is expected to last three weeks. Detour signs will be posted.
To view a PDF map of the new traffic configuration, click on the image below.
Lane and Road Closures on US 601
As part of the 601 widening project, on May 8 Mt. Springs Church Road no longer had access to US 601. Motorists were able to access 601 at Carl Funderburk Road.
601 to Become ‘Speed Trap’ as Summer Traffic and Construction Increases
June begins beach season, and traffic along 601 is going to pick up. What makes this beach season different for 601 travelers is the 601 widening project (which begins at the S.C./N.C. state line and goes north about 10.8 miles.) “We will be in full swing out there and we are concerned about the increased volume of traffic and the amount of careless driving we see out there daily,” said Blythe Construction Safety Manager Peter Bolton.
To push safety for both drivers and workers, Blythe Construction has hired off-duty police to patrol 601 on a regular basis starting Memorial Day weekend. “With the current commitment of law enforcement, this addition of more police presence will hopefully make 601 what some people call a ‘speed trap’ … a title we all want this stretch of road to have,” said Dennis Cloud NCDOT (North Carolina Department of Transportation) Resident Engineer. The 601 project team will likely continue to hire extra police until the end of the project in 2009.
Blythe Construction began the 601 widening project last winter, but will be busiest this summer as crews begin the actual process of laying asphalt, shifting traffic patterns and literally working in the road. “We plan to have several traffic shifts this summer that will place cars in a new driving pattern, so we really need drivers to be aware, obey the posted speed limit and NOT tailgate other cars,” said Blythe 601 Project Manager Wayne Ramsey. The traffic shifts are expected to occur in June approximately 1.3 to 2 miles north of the N.C./S.C. state line. These shifts are being done so crews can move traffic over to widen and resurface the existing road.
Project Renderings:
There are new project renderings up on the Photos page. The first is a rendering of the intersection of Landsford Rd. with US601. This image shows the intersection from an aerial perspective in order to see what the final project will look like with turn lanes and medians. The other files are colored maps of the design showing what the final project will look like. These maps are .pdf files and they are quite large.
Project Description:
The $53 million US-601 project extends from north of the South Carolina state line to State Road (Marion Lee Road) in Union County, a distance of about 10.8 miles. The proposed improvements consist of widening US-601 to a four-lane divided highway.
The primary purpose of this project is to improve highway safety on US-601, also known as the “Death Highway.” The secondary purpose is to increase the vehicle capacity of the road.
The project began in the spring of 2007 and is expected to finish in late December of 2009.
The US 601 Design-Build Team is working hard to provide the public with a safe road in the quickest amount of time. To be successful, we need your help! Please think safety at all times; drive 55, wear your seatbelt, and watch out for workers! To find out more on traffic safety on 601, click here.
Blythe Construction, Inc.
704.375.3840
P.O. Box 31635
Charlotte, NC 28231