Aberdeen approves temporary Highway 5 closure and detour for utility relocation

The Aberdeen Town board authorized a temporary road closure and detour route to allow utility relocation connected to state highway work.

Staff described the closure as part of an NCDOT contractor’s scope that will require routing traffic off North Carolina Highway 5 onto local streets (including Saunders, Taylor and Anderson Street) for up to four separate operations, each lasting no more than 14 days. Chief (S9) said the contractor plans to use the same detour route the contractor used three years ago: “The route they used is the same 1 they used from about 3 years ago, the exact same route.”

Staff said they expect work to begin in roughly two to four weeks, that the town will post notices and coordinate with businesses, and that construction would be scheduled outside school hours when possible. The board voted to approve the temporary closure and detour route and directed staff to keep businesses informed.

No precise start or completion dates were available at the meeting; staff said a materials delay is still being resolved and that NCDOT is responsible for notifying affected businesses.