Diverging Diamond means big changes for Leland traffic

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Weather permitting, the Diverging Diamond interchange at the intersection of highways 133 and 17/74/76 should open Monday morning at 6 a.m.

“Motorists should pay special attention to what’s happening the day that it opens,” said NCDOT spokesman Brian Rick.

If the weather allows, the intersection will be closed on Friday at 9:00 p.m. and remain closed through the weekend until Monday morning. Rick encourages drivers to keep that in mind when heading to work or school on Monday. He said drivers should factor in about 20-30 minutes of additional drive time while folks are figuring out the new traffic patterns.

Assistant Resident Engineer Wanda James said the NCDOT is not asking for any special help from law enforcement for the project.

“We are not going to call them out for extra enforcement but Leland will probably be in the area and doing some extra enforcement and watching traffic go through the Diverging Diamond interchange,” James said.

Chief Mike James with the Leland Police Department said they will have 4-6 officers out Monday to help folks navigate the changes.

If weather does postpone the project the DOT said it will likely not open until after the start of the new year.