Triangle Expressway Extension may start in 2014

So much to catch up on here at the blog! Unfortunately or fortunately, hockey season is drawing to a close here in Raleigh so weekend home game tailgating comes to an end Saturday. (Last season, the Hurricanes run through the playoff extended tailgating almost weekly through the end of May.) So there should be more time for blog entries, though kickball, spring curling, and training for my first distance run (5k - yes I know it's short but I'd love to get to a half-marathon someday) will keep me busy this spring. Oh yeah, so will work.

Anyways enough about my plight. Today, the Raleigh News & Observer ran pretty much a filler story on the possible extension of the Toll Triangle Expressway from NC 55 in Holly Spring to I-40 in Garner.

Back in October, I blogged about how the NC Turnpike Authority was starting to plan to construct the remaining 30 miles of the Raleigh Outer Loop. This is in addition to the 13 or so odd miles they currently have under construction.

The article talks more about the impact on different types of commuters - those that will use it, those that will see traffic off local roads, etc - and on the various impacts to developers in the proposed right of way. The detail in the story that is of interest to me is that a targeted start of construction date is 2014.

Comments

Bob Malme said…

I assume I'm not alone in thinking that it is very optimistic to believe truck drivers and passenger cars will use the Toll NC 540 to avoid I-40 through Raleigh when the toll road is extended further south to Garner. Map readers will see it's shorter to stay on I-40 and if traffic's not bad they'll opt for the free route. Others may not trust a state route number, and only follow an interstate signed route.

If the southeastern section is finally built, and I-540 stays free to US 64/264, that would be an option, but it is a little longer than the eastern route. Guess there's plenty of time for studies to be done to see what the traffic effects will be.

10:53 PM

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