In The News: Wendi Johnson Leads Innovative Construction Solution

A major North Carolina highway project is gaining momentum thanks to an innovative construction approach and the leadership of Resident Engineer Wendi Johnson, PE, who is helping bring it to life. 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is advancing upgrades to U.S. 70, a key corridor that will become part of the future Interstate 42. In James City, a five-mile stretch of the future I-42, portions of the roadway are being elevated and redesigned with five new interchanges to improve mobility and safety along the route. 

Facing unstable soils that could have delayed construction by nearly a year, the project team implemented lightweight cellular concrete (LCC), a material that cuts settlement time from roughly 280 days to just 90, helping keep the five-mile corridor project on track. It also marks NCDOT’s largest use of LCC to date and reduces impacts to the surrounding community by eliminating an estimated 20,000 truck trips. Once complete, the project will deliver improved mobility along this critical eastern North Carolina corridor.