Skip to main content

Ground breaks on "New Era of North Carolina Transportation"

Image
By
Dignitaries break ground on the Triangle Expressway

At about 10:35 this morning, the toll road era of North Carolina transportation officially began. The ground breaking for the 18.8 mile Triangle Expressway ushers in a new and controversial era of road construction in the state.

The ground breaking ceremony was held at the current end of NC 540 at NC 55 near Apex.

"This marks a new era in transportation in North Carolina," said NC Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti. "With dwindling transportation revenues and more fuel efficient vehicles, the state needed another tool in its toolbox to deliver megaprojects like the Triangle Expressway."

Over 100 people witnessed the beginning of the new era.

U.S. Congressman David Price, who also spoke at the event, said that today's ceremony was an example of "where we've come from and where we're going."

Construction for the first segment of the Triangle Expressway - an extension of NC 147 from Interstate 40 to the Davis Drive Interchange with NC 540 - should begin soon. That section is expected to open in 2011.

The extension of NC 540 to the NC 55 Bypass in Holly Springs still has some land acquisition to be done. However, the road should be open to traffic in 2012.

Both segments are design-build projects. In a design-build project, the design and construction of a project happen simultaneously. Over the past decade, a number of highway projects in North Carolina used this method.

Fellow blogger, Bob Malme was also in attendance and his report on the ceremony is here.

Story Links:
State's first toll highway finally reaches beginning of road ---WRAL-TV w/video
Officials break ground on state's first toll road ---News14Carolina w/video

Photos below - for the entire set - go here.

In three years or so, this will no longer be the last exit on NC 540.

North Carolina Turnpike Authority Executive Director, David W. Joyner, speaks during the ceremony.
U.S. Congressman, David Price (4th District).
NCDOT Secretary Gene Conti:
Labels:

Comments

Bob Malme said…
I took some photos too, but there mainly duplicates of what Adam shot, so I'll spare everyone another look. I was going to take some shots of the existing roadways in the Triangle Parkway corridor before construction starts, but it started to rain, so I'll try again soon.

This was my first roadway groundbreaking and it was quite similar to a couple building groundbreakings I attended at Duke. Even down to the appearance of David Price (he's a Duke professor officially 'on leave'). None of them had bulldozers moving any dirt after the dignitaries, though.
10:09 PM
Georgia Road Geek said…
They should've given you guys a shovel and let you participate. :)
8:17 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rep. Sue Myrick's letter to Gov. Easley and Sect. Tippett published in Charlotte Observer

By
US. Representative Sue Myrick's (R-Charlotte) letter to North Carolina's Governor Mike Easley and NC Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett was published in the Friday, November 30th edition of the Charlotte Observer . Why are we delaying the completion of 1-485 in Charlotte again? I read in The Charlotte Observer how rising prices of materials are leading to the delay. Why didn't these same rising costs delay the loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington? Why are we building loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington before we complete the one in Charlotte? We were working on the one in Charlotte back when I was mayor. That was 20 years ago! ... Last I looked Charlotte was the largest city in the state. There seems to be no recognition of that fact in Raleigh. No recognition that we are at a standstill with traffic. No recognition that we have a traffic problem. Nor is there any recognition of the fact that the state DOT utterly botched up the southern leg of our yet to be completed ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Sandstone Falls

By
The New River, which runs through New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is best known for its dramatic rapids and whitewater adventures.  Those features begin at one of the river's widest points: Sandstone Falls. From the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk a look at just a small part of the falls. Though the vertical drop of roughly 20 feet is less than many other well-known waterfalls in the state, the falls' expanse, where the river approaches 1500 feet wide, makes Sandstone Falls impressive.   The Boardwalk Trail leads to a better vantage point of the overall falls. It is a great spot for photography, fishing, or laying out in the sun. Access to the falls is relatively easy: from Hinton, cross the New River on Highway 20, then turn right onto CR 26 and follow New River Road to the Sandstone Falls Parking Area. The Island Loop Trail is a short detour off the Boardwalk Trail and shows a quieter side of the area. At Sandstone Falls, you will find a variety of activities fr...
1 comment
Read more

I-90 in Albany, New York and the Berkshire Spur

By
Today's Albany Times Union has a segment in their weekly Getting There? column that explains some of the history behind how I-90 is designated in the Albany, NY area as well as the Berkshire Spur. The long and short of the article was that I-90 was originally designated on the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, but as free I-90 was built, the designation was moved onto the free portion of road. Additionally, there were talks in 1999 between state and federal officials about the possibility of moving I-90 back onto the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, while extending I-88 onto what we know as free I-90. There would have also had been an I-88/I-90 multiplex between Rotterdam and Albany as a result. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=916307
Post a Comment
Read more