The I-485 Express Lanes project is set to open by winter 2025.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If it feels like the I-485 Express Lanes have been under construction forever, you’re not alone. Drivers along the busy interstate have watched a sea of orange cones stretch for miles since 2019, when the $346 million project first began.
Now, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), completion is in sight.
“We are looking at the end of this year,” said Jen Goodwin with NCDOT, confirming the project is on track to open by winter 2025, barring further weather delays.
Originally slated for completion in 2024, the project faced significant setbacks due to labor and material shortages. Construction remains active across many stretches of the corridor, including near Exit 59 at Rea Road, where cones and covered toll signs serve as a daily reminder to commuters that the work isn’t quite finished.
“It seems like it’s at a standstill,” said Tia Stillwell, a commuter who regularly drives the stretch. “I don’t know. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
When complete, the I-485 project will include:
One express lane in each direction
A new interchange at Weddington Road
A widened Ballantyne Commons Parkway bridge
Improvements to John Street in Matthews
“We’ve had some other challenges with utility relocation work with the new interchange we are building at Weddington Road,” Goodwin added. “And the other interchange down at John Street in Matthews, we’ve added some work to that interchange- we extended the project limits further out.”
Johns Street will feature “scissor bridges”, which straddle the main I-485 traffic lanes. These bridges allow vehicles in the express lanes to enter and exit without interfering with general-purpose (free) lanes. According to NCDOT, the contractor is currently completing punchlist items on those bridges.
Until then, drivers like Stillwell are bracing for more delays.
“Traffic is horrible,” Stillwell said.
Contact Walker Lawson at [email protected] or follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
Download WCNC+ on your on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV, and stream the news that impacts you for free.
