Description

This project is necessary to widen I-40 from 4 to 6 lanes from west of Wade Avenue (State Road 1728) to east of the Jones Franklin Road (S.R. 5039) bridge in order to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow in one of the most heavily congested areas in the Triangle. This project also includes new signs and interstate route numbering to help ease motorist’s confusion about travel on I-440.

• Project Fact Sheet

News and Updates

Project Highlights

• Lane closures will be allowed between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, until 9 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. For additional lane restriction information, click here.
• Work will include adding one 12-foot wide lane and one 12-foot wide shoulder in each direction of I-40, expanding the interstate from four to six lanes. The new shoulders will be built to the same depth as the roadway, which will allow for easier expansion of the highway in the future. The bridges carrying I-40 over Wade Avenue and U.S. 1/64 will also be widened so they will have the capacity for eight lanes in anticipation for future widening along this section of I-40.
• I-40 interstate crest pavement markers will be placed on the three I-40 lanes prior to Harrison Avenue and at two locations prior to the Wade Avenue split to further assist motorists with lane designations
• Installation of a dynamic message sign on I-40 westbound between Lake Wheeler Road and Gorman Street which will display information regarding travel conditions as needed.
• Motorist traveling U.S. 1/64 North needing to access I-40 East will need to merge onto I-40 prior to the Jones Franklin Road Bridge once the project is completed. Currently, motorists are not required to merge here, the lane “free flows” onto I-40.
• Motorists traveling Harrison Avenue needing to access Wade Avenue via I-40 East will no longer need to merge onto I-40 East as the existing merge condition is being eliminated. For additional information, click here.
• The contractor will install two conveyer belt systems near the N.C. 54 interchange to transport stone and asphalt to the median area. The contractor estimates their use of the conveyors will eliminate 237 lanes closures and nearly 12,000 truckload trips that otherwise would have been needed to haul the materials from the I-40 travel lanes.
• New signs will be installed between Exit 293 (U.S. 1/64) and Exit 301 (the I-40/I-440 split).
• I-40 East and West will remain the route designations for the loop on the south section of Raleigh, which will no longer also be designated I-440.
• The new interstate route numbering is meant to help ease motorist confusion about travel on I-440.
• The Outer Beltline (the northern part of the city) will now be I-440 West.
• The Inner Beltline will now become I-440 East.
• All signs referring to the beltline will be removed.

Contact Information

Resources for Local Property Owners

In many cases, it is inevitable that a certain amount of private property must be acquired. The displacement of homes and businesses is minimized to the extent practicable. The following brochures will answer questions about this process.

• Relocation Assistance Brochure
• Right-of-Way Acquisition FAQs
• Right-of-Way Acquisition FAQs (Spanish)