Busy Smithfield Exit Will be Reconstructed

Bridge over I-95 at Exit 95 will be upgraded

SMITHFIELD – The U.S. 70 Business bridge over Interstate 95 at Exit 95 will be reconstructed into a taller, longer and wider structure, thanks to a new $38.3 million contract.

The two-lane bridge over I-95 will be replaced with a five-lane bridge with a sidewalk. In addition, the on/off ramps will be reconfigured to meet modern standards, and traffic signals will be installed at the intersections of the ramps and U.S. 70 Business.

The same bridge is also known as East Market Street. It averages 14,000 vehicles a day, and this exit serves the popular Smithfield outlet shopping center and Johnston Community College.

Construction schedule

The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the contract this week to Texas-based Zachry Construction Corp., which can begin in January and will have until the summer of 2027 to reconstruct the interchange.

Traffic will be maintained in its current two-lane, two-way pattern throughout construction. When approximately half of the new bridge is complete, traffic will be shifted onto it, so crews can demolish the present bridge and finish building out the new bridge.