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Triangle Expressway Updates...Full Speed Ahead

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With all the funding from a variety of sources in place, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority yesterday officially awarded the construction contracts of the 18.8 mile Triangle Expressway. If, and that's a big if, all goes well we will see the entire highway open to traffic in 2012.

Wilson, NC based S.T. Wooten Corp will build the 3.4 miles of the Triangle Parkway at a cost of $137.5 million. This will build the toll road from NC 147 in RTP to NC 540 at Davis Drive. The project will also include a toll plaza on NC 540.

Two companies - Archer Western Contractors of Atlanta and Granite Construction of Watsonville, CA - combined to create Raleigh/Durham Roadbuilders to extend NC 540 from its current end 12.6 miles south to the NC 55 Bypass in Holly Springs. That contract is worth $446.5 million.

2.8 miles of currently open - and free - NC 540 from Davis Drive to NC 55 near Apex will be incorporated into the toll road.

Surveying is to begin this week - and an official ground breaking ceremony will be held on August 12th.

Story Links:
Turnpike board starts spending for toll road ---Raleigh News & Observer
Turnpike Authority awards contracts for state toll road ---WRAL-TV

Commentary:
So it begins, after nearly two years of teasing, construction of North Carolina's first toll road is set to begin. The road will be opened in two segments; and depending on which news story you read, the road will be completed in its entirety by 2012 or 2013. Of course, if the NCTA is anything like the NCDOT it will most likely be delayed.

Here at the blog, we have three members of our team within ear shot of this project - myself, Brian LeBlanc, and Bob Malme. All three of us will be covering different parts of this project - from construction progress and delays - discovering what the TOLL NC Highway shields will look like - to any political obstacles that will inevitably get in the way.

Hopefully one or all three of us will be at the groundbreaking on August 12th and we'll be here to file a report.
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Bob Malme said…
I'll plan to be there for the groundbreaking (given that this is a toll road, will there be an entrance fee?). If any divvying up of the project coverage would work, I'm happy to take on the Triangle Parkway segment since it's closest to me.
2:32 PM
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