Motorists in Boone can expect some intermittent delays as crews prepare for road improvements, while a section of Old U.S. 421 will be closed until mid-autumn.

Frank Gioscio, resident engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said utility workers will be installing new power poles and moving lines in anticipation of the major King Street renovations. While some lanes of traffic will be temporarily blocked, no road closures in town are scheduled.

The road project will be let out for bid in June, with the contract scheduled to be awarded on June 17. Work is expected to start shortly afterward, as the project has been fast-tracked because of the autumn 2010 opening of the new Watauga County High School.

The project was originally delayed due to a lack of state transportation funding, but federal stimulus money put it back on the NCDOT schedule. It’s already several months behind schedule, but $14.4 million in federal funds is helping secure the last of 76 property right-of-ways needed for the road improvements. The total project is estimated to cost $40 million.

A portion of the 1.1-mile roadway will be widened to six lanes, adding curbs and gutters as well as turn lanes to enhance traffic flow. From the NC 105 Extension to Hardin Street, the project will have four lanes, a divided median, and 5-feet-wide sidewalks. The major intersections will be improved, with additional turn lanes and signal lights added.

The NCDOT will be closing a section of Old US 421 in Sugar Grove to replace a bridge over Cove Creek in the Amantha community. The road closure will begin on May 11 and could continue until Oct. 15. There will be a signed detour in place that runs from Old US 421 to Sherwood Road, then to Shoemaker Road and to Silverstone Road before connecting back to Old US 421.

Engineer Lee Hammer said emergency personnel had been notified of the closure. The Amantha bridge was built in 1962, and it has about four functional years left, according to engineering specifications. Replacement is expected to cost $1.15 million.

Public hearings in 2007 brought forth community concerns, as several alternatives would have removed the nearby bridge on Henson Branch Road and threatened a historic structure. The selected alternative includes a bridge replacement, a slight easing of the curve, and installation of a culvert.