On May 16, 2024, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (a business unit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation) broke ground on Phase 2 of the Complete 540 Project. Phase 1 will open to the public mid-2024.
HNTB serves as NCTA's General Engineering Consultant, toll operations service provider and provides communications support. HNTB is working alongside the turnpike staff to deliver the largest investment in highway infrastructure in NCDOT history.
When Phase 2 is completed, the 47-mile six lane Triangle Expressway will improve mobility within the project area and reduce forecast congestion on the existing roadway network. A secondary purpose of the project is to improve system linkage in the regional roadway network by extending the 540 outer loop around the greater Raleigh area. It is expected that construction of this link will benefit local commuters living south and east of Raleigh as well as motorists making longer trips through the Triangle Region to and from points south and east.
28-Mile Transformation
The project scope includes:
- Six-lane fully access-controlled facility with 70 mile per hour posted speed
- 13 interchanges
- All-electronic tolling
- Wrong-way vehicle detection technology
- Sound attenuation barrier walls
- Interchange lighting
Several multi-modal pedestrian features are also incorporated in the project, including:
- Shared and separated bike lanes on intersecting roadways
- Pedestrian culverts under Triangle Expressway to accommodate existing and planned greenways
- Multi-use paths and sidewalks along intersecting roadways