NCDOT Opens First Phase of $2.2B Toll Road Around Raleigh

An 18-mile extension to the North Carolina Triangle Expressway toll road has been officially opened, just the first phase in a $2.2 billion infrastructure project.

North Carolina Turnpike Authority and NCDOT officials cut the ribbon last month on Complete 540 Phase 1, which stretches from the N.C. 55 Bypass in Apex to the I-40/I-42 interchange in Garner. NCDOT says the expansion will enhance connectivity and reduce travel times for commuters and residents.

Work on Phase 1 began in late 2019, after Lane Blythe Construction Joint Venture of Charlotte won the $403 million design-build contract in December 2018.

Some remaining work after the ribbon cutting included lighting and signage installation, roadway work and work on toll technology with intermittent lane closures.  

“The excitement surrounding this long-anticipated project is contagious,” said J.J. Eden, executive director of NCTA. “The Triangle Expressway will be instrumental in supporting the region’s growth and development, providing a reliable and efficient transportation option for all.”

The second phase of the project involves extending the Triangle Expressway an additional 10 miles from I-40/I-42 to the existing I-540/I-87/U.S. 64/U.S. 264 interchange in Knightdale to close the 540 Outer Loop around Raleigh. Construction is underway and expected to be completed by late 2028. Flatiron-Fred Smith Company Joint Venture won the $450 million contract for the first of two sections of the second phase.

Once completed, the new toll road will connect several towns and cities and ease congestion on I-440, I-40, N.C. 42, N.C. 55 and Ten-Ten Road, among other local roads, according to NCDOT.

The overall project extends the Triangle Expressway 28 miles south and east of Raleigh to connect with the existing 18.8-mile N.C. 540, which became the state’s first modern toll road in 2012, according to the N.C. Turnpike Authority.