Durham road closures: West Trinity Avenue and Dillard Street

Last checked Nov. 2, 2026. Refreshed every week. State work zones come from DriveNC.gov, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s traveler site, for Durham County. City work comes from the City of Durham’s closures page, its closures map and its project pages. Times are Eastern.

The biggest closure in Durham is in the city: West Trinity Avenue is fully closed between North Duke Street and Orient Street into early 2027 for the South Ellerbe Restoration Project. Downtown, Dillard Street stays closed between South Roxboro and Pettigrew streets through the week of Nov. 9 for waterline work.

State roads are quiet this week. DriveNC lists one Durham County work zone, a right lane on N.C. 885 that reopens at 5 p.m. Monday. The bigger state closures are just over the line in Orange County, on two ramps where I-40 and I-85 meet near Hillsborough.

Durham’s interstates and numbered highways, including I-40, I-85, the Durham Freeway (N.C. 147) and U.S. 15-501, are state roads run by NCDOT. City streets, sidewalks and greenways belong to the City of Durham. Conditions change by the hour, so check DriveNC.gov or dial 511 before you go.

Who to call

• City streets and potholes: Durham One Call, 919-560-1200, or the online request form
• State roads (potholes, signs, shoulders): NCDOT Durham County maintenance engineer, 919-477-2814, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays
• Live state road conditions: dial 511 or see DriveNC.gov
• City closures: closures page and Early City Work Alerts
• Crash or hazard blocking a road: 911

West Trinity Avenue closed into early 2027

West Trinity Avenue has been fully closed between North Duke Street and Orient Street since Monday, Oct. 19. Crews are moving sewer and water lines for the new wetland and stream at 808 W. Trinity Ave. The city gives two end dates. The South Ellerbe Restoration Project page says the street stays closed through January 2027. The city’s closures map, updated Nov. 1, lists an end date of Feb. 28, 2027. Plan on the later date until the city says otherwise.

• Detour: the closures page sends drivers to Markham Avenue or Corporation Street. The city has posted an eastbound detour map, a westbound detour map and a pedestrian detour map.
• Local access is allowed, the map says.
• Pearl Mill Flats at 807 W. Trinity Ave. stays reachable. Through Nov. 13, use North Duke Street or the east-most entrance on West Trinity Avenue. From Nov. 14 to Dec. 31, use North Duke Street or the west-most entrance.
• North Duke Street between Trinity and Monmouth avenues, closed earlier for the same project, has reopened. The city’s Oct. 30 City Connect newsletter says crews moved to Trinity Avenue after reopening it, and expects the Trinity closure to last until February 2027.
• South Ellerbe Creek Trail: part of the trail is closed around the work area; walkers and cyclists detour on Markham Avenue and Washington Street. The project page says through the end of 2027; the city’s trail map says 2028.

Downtown: Dillard Street and the American Tobacco waterline

The city’s Oct. 30 project update for the American Tobacco District waterline lists the same closures for the weeks of Nov. 2 and Nov. 9:

• Dillard Street closed between South Roxboro Street and Pettigrew Street. The update’s detail places the closure east of Roxboro Street, between the parking deck entrance and Poppy Street. Eastbound Dillard traffic detours on Roxboro and Pettigrew streets; westbound on Pettigrew and Mangum streets.
• Lane shifts and closures on South Roxboro Street between Jackie Robinson Drive and Pettigrew Street, including at the Dillard and Roxboro intersection.
• Lane and road closures on Jackie Robinson Drive between Mangum and Blackwell streets.
• Lane shifts and closures at the Jackie Robinson Drive and Blackwell Street intersection, with flaggers during active work.

Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and no weekend work is planned. Access to the Camden parking deck is through Roxboro Street, and businesses and homes on Dillard stay reachable. The city said rock under large storm drains has slowed the trenchless pipe work, which now needs hand tunneling. It expects that stretch to take one to two more weeks. Phase 2 of the project runs until spring 2027. Downtown Durham Inc. has a downtown parking map.

Other city streets

• North Roxboro Street between Markham Avenue and Knox Street: the city’s closures map still shows it closed for infrastructure work, with Avondale Drive as the alternate route. The end date the map lists, Oct. 30, has passed, and we found no notice saying it has reopened. Follow the signs or call 919-560-1200.
• Chapel Hill Street Garage downtown closes at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, so Duke Energy can complete upgrades. The city expects it to reopen at 5 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, its Oct. 30 newsletter says. Move your car out before the closure starts. Monthly parkers may use the Morgan-Rigsbee Garage, 105 W. Morgan St.
• West Club Boulevard corridor: the project page said the water and sewer job was “in the homestretch,” and the city’s October alert said it should be finished by the end of October. The closures map no longer lists it.
• Vintage Hill Parkway bridge in Treyburn: the city had listed the road closed at the bridge until August 2026. It is no longer on the map, but we could not confirm that it has reopened. Call 919-560-1200 if it is on your route.

State work zones in Durham County

As NCDOT lists them on DriveNC on Nov. 2.

DriveNC lists no other current or planned Durham County work zones. Crews often finish early or run late; DriveNC shows the current state.

Nearby in Orange County

Hillsborough is about 13 miles northwest and Chapel Hill about nine miles southwest. NCDOT lists these on DriveNC:

• Ramp from I-40 West to I-85 near Hillsborough: closed from Sunday, Nov. 1, until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. NCDOT calls it a long-term closure for construction access and hauling. Its detour: Exit 161 (U.S. 70 East) to I-40 East and I-85 North.
• Ramp from I-85 South to I-40 East at the same split: closed around the clock until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24.
• Ramp from I-40 West to New Hope Church Road (Exit 263): closed around the clock until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, for new ramp construction. NCDOT’s detour: Exit 261 (Old N.C. 86), then back onto I-40 East.
• I-85 North near mile marker 165: the left lane closes from 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.
• I-40 in both directions between mile markers 259 and 262: rolling closures from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10.
• N.C. 54 in Chapel Hill: daytime lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Abbey Lane and Jones Ferry Road until Dec. 1, while three intersections get signals and crosswalks. The median crossing at Kingswood Apartments is closed for good.

Repaving and the street bond

City voters approved a $115 million streets and sidewalks bond in November 2024. The city’s bond page splits it four ways:

• $60 million for about 12.4 miles of new sidewalks
• $15 million for sidewalk repairs
• $30 million for repaving and maintenance
• $10 million to pave the city’s remaining unpaved streets by 2029

The first bond-funded repaving contract, ST-342, went to Fred Smith Company and the city lists it as ongoing. The city’s bond map shows the planned streets and sidewalks.

What this means for you

• Crossing West Trinity Avenue near Duke Street? Use Markham Avenue or Corporation Street until at least January, and possibly through February.
• Downtown this week and next, avoid Dillard Street between Roxboro and Pettigrew streets. Expect lane shifts on Roxboro Street, Jackie Robinson Drive and at Blackwell Street.
• Heading west toward Hillsborough or Greensboro? The I-40 West ramp to I-85 is closed until Nov. 24; follow NCDOT’s detour by Exit 161.
• Heading to Chapel Hill on I-40 West? The New Hope Church Road exit stays closed until Nov. 16.
• Park in the Chapel Hill Street Garage? Move your car out before 5 a.m. Nov. 10; it reopens Nov. 13.

More: getting around Durham, building permits and zoning and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check road closures in Durham?

For interstates and state roads, check DriveNC.gov, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s traveler site, or dial 511. City street, sidewalk and trail closures are on the City of Durham’s closures page and map.

Is West Trinity Avenue closed?

Yes. West Trinity Avenue is fully closed between North Duke Street and Orient Street for the South Ellerbe Restoration Project. It closed Oct. 19. The project page says it stays closed through January 2027; the city’s closures map lists an end date of Feb. 28, 2027. The city’s closures page sends drivers to Markham Avenue or Corporation Street.

Is Dillard Street closed downtown?

Yes. The city’s waterline project lists Dillard Street closed between South Roxboro Street and Pettigrew Street for the weeks of Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, with lane shifts on South Roxboro Street and Jackie Robinson Drive and at the Jackie Robinson Drive and Blackwell Street intersection. Eastbound drivers detour on Roxboro and Pettigrew streets; westbound drivers on Pettigrew and Mangum streets.

Is there construction on state roads in Durham County?

Very little this week. On Nov. 2, DriveNC lists one Durham County work zone: the right lane of N.C. 885 southbound between Hopson Road and Davis Drive, until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. The bigger state closures are just over the line in Orange County, on the I-40 and I-85 ramps near Hillsborough and the New Hope Church Road exit.

How do I report a pothole in Durham?

Report potholes on city streets to Durham One Call at 919-560-1200 or online. For state-maintained roads, call the NCDOT Durham County maintenance engineer at 919-477-2814.

Is the Ellerbe Creek Trail closed?

Yes. Part of the South Ellerbe Creek Trail is closed around the South Ellerbe Restoration Project work area. The closures page says through December 2027; the city’s trail map says 2028. The detour uses Markham Avenue and Washington Street.