The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has begun nightly lane closures on Interstate 85 in Gaston County as engineers start a geotechnical investigation for the highway’s future widening. The closures will continue for the next two weeks as crews study soil and structural conditions beneath the roadway.

The investigation is an early step in a massive plan to expand I-85 from six to eight lanes between the U.S. 321 interchange (Exit 17) in Gastonia and the N.C. 273 interchange (Exit 27) in Belmont. The information collected will help design a wider bridge over the South Fork Catawba River, just north of McAdenville.

Starting Sunday night, the right northbound lane near the bridge will close nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., continuing through Thursday morning, depending on c

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