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Motorists traveling on N.C.  Highway 24-27 near the Mecklenburg/Cabarrus County line will soon see a new traffic pattern at the Arlington Church/Brooks Road intersection, as a $1.6 million project gets underway.

The contractor, NJR Group Inc. of Albemarle, will convert the existing intersection to a reduced conflict intersection, or RCI. The RCI simplifies traffic movements by removing the number of conflict points, or possible locations, where vehicles can collide.

Side-street traffic is redirected to turn right to enter the flow of traffic, while drivers wanting to go in the opposite direction simply enter a lane to make a U-turn. This design reduces the risk of collisions and allows drivers to travel more quickly through the corridor.

A permanent change in the pattern will see drivers approaching N.C. 24-27 from the side roads turning right, then making a U-turn to reach their destination.

Contract crews plan to start clearing activities Thursday. The roadway portion of the project should be complete in June, with vegetation establishment continuing through the end of the year.