Final answer:
DNA polymerase I excises nucleotides in the 5' to 3' direction during nucleotide excision repair and fills in the gap with new nucleotides.
Step-by-step explanation:
The direction of excision by DNA polymerase I during nucleotide excision repair is 5' to 3'. This is during a process known as nucleotide excision repair, where enzymes identify and remove damaged bases or segments of DNA. DNA polymerase I then fills in the gap by adding nucleotides one by one, matching them to the template strand. The phosphodiester bond formation to complete the repaired strand is the responsibility of DNA ligase.