ONLY ON 3: DOT explains diverging diamond interchange in Leland

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina Department of Transportation crews are working right now on the intersection of NC 133 and US 17/74/76 as part of the bigger causeway project in Leland.

Wanda James, a DOT engineer, says the new diverging diamond interchange, or DDI, will help drivers on NC 133 get onto the causeway.

“We have a lot of people trying to access Highway 17/74/76 from NC 133,” James said. “The diverging diamond was created to help alleviate conflicting turn movements.”

In the DDI, drivers on 133 will shift to the other side of the road to get on the causeway with only one light to go through; not two like it is now for some drivers. James says doing this will help ease traffic and create safer driving conditions.

“So when they make a left turn they will have no opposing traffic,” James said. “That will alleviate all those conflict points as far as right turn collisions and hopefully make that interchange a safer area to drive.”

But some drivers were concerned about the new traffic pattern and confusion.

“I think it’ll work. At first there’s going to be people confused by it, but I’m sure in the end people will be happy with it,” Leland resident Jennifer Milau said.