News Update: View NEW Project Renderings
There are now renderings up of what the final project will look like under the Photos page. There is an intersection rendering that shows the layout of the turn lanes and medians at Landsford Rd. There will also be 5 other .pdf files that you can download and view. These files show the layout of the design in a colored map format.
News Updates - Archived Announcements:
U.S. 601 Construction: TWO Temporary Road Closures- posted October 2008
Union County, NC: US 601 crews will temporarily close the east side of Carl Funderburke Road and the east side of Hargette Road at 601.
Carl Funderburke Road will be closed for about 30 days beginning Monday September 22 and Hargette Road will be closed for about 30 days beginning Monday September 29.
Detour signs will be posted to direct traffic around the area. We apologize for any inconvenience. The detour will allow crews to work quickly and safely on U.S. 601.
Second Traffic Shift Planned for September 10th- posted September 2008
Blythe Construction crews will move another section of traffic on US 601 to newly constructed roadway (which will be the new southbound lanes). The shift will be on 601 between Belk Mill Road and Hargette Road. The shift will allow crews to work on what will become the new northbound lanes.
To view a pdf of our latest newsletter click here
To view a pdf map of the new traffic configuration, click on the image below.
Look For a New Traffic Pattern on 601 in August - posted August 2008
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 - posted May 2008
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.
Work began August 8th on the U.S. 601 design-build widening project. Throughout the summer, fall, and winter of this year, Blythe Construction, Inc crews will be preparing the area for road building. Crews will be on site, but significant traffic interruptions are not expected until next spring.
“What we are doing now is mostly prep work,” said Construction Manager Brian Webb. “It’s like painting a wall; before you put on the paint, or in this case the asphalt, you have to do a lot of prep work and that can take some time.”
What motorists can expect immediately are short, intermittent lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will also be new ‘no passing zones’ present on the project in the future.
Safety for crews and the driving public will be a major concern for the US 601 team as crews move into the road in the days and months ahead. “Now that work has begun on 601, we are stepping up patrols in an effort to keep workers and the traveling public safe,” said North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Mark Helms. “We want people to know that if you speed in the work zone, if you drive carelessly in the work zone, if you drink and drive in the work zone, there is a good chance you will see blue lights in your rearview mirror.”