Last Updated on September 24, 2025 11:06 am
WILKESBORO – An N.C. Department of Transportation contractor has entered a new phase of intersection improvements along U.S. 421 in Wilkes County.
In this phase of construction, Branch Civil Inc. will build shoulders, remove trees, remove the merge ramp from U.S. 421 Business onto U.S. 421 North and install concrete barrier walls so crews can work alongside traffic in future phases.
This phase requires a new traffic pattern:
- The Curtis Bridge extension has opened between U.S. 421 Business and U.S. 421. It added two lanes for traffic entering U.S. 421 South from U.S. 421 Business North. It also allows U.S. 421 North traffic an additional exit to U.S. 421 Business.
- The ramp from U.S. 421 Business North to U.S. 421 North has closed. One of the left turn lanes from U.S. 421 Business North to U.S. 421 South was converted to a right turn lane.
- There is only one left turn lane from U.S. 421 South to U.S. 421 Business South. Extra arrows and signage have been added to alert drivers to the change.
When the contractor finishes this phase of the project later this fall, crews will install two left turn lanes from U.S. 421 South to U.S. 421 Business South.
The $81 million project began in 2024. Over the next three years, Branch Civil will convert intersections to reduced conflict intersections along a 2-mile stretch of U.S. 421 in Wilkes County.
Reduced conflict intersections simplify how traffic moves and reduced total crashes by 50%, according to NCDOT crash data. They have reduced frontal impact crashes, like head-on or T-bone collisions, by 80%.
The entire project should finish in fall 2027.
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