November 02, 201811/02/2018

"Walnut to Wade" I-440 widening project in Raleigh set to start soon after DOT awards contract

Those who live and work in Raleigh have been waiting for the I-440 "Walnut to Wade" project to get started for years. As they sit in traffic, they've dreamed about how much smoother their commutes will go once there is an extra lane in each direction.

While the process was slated to start in the fall of 2018, the planning and bidding process has taken a a little longer, delaying the start of the lane widening to early 2019. A New England construction firm, The Lane Construction Company, won the final bid with a $347 million proposal. 

Capital commuters shouldn't get too excited about the extra lanes yet, as the DOT's press release announcing the bid being finalized also stated, "The project is expected to finish by August 1, 2023."

Outlook for the next four years

With years of construction facing the Raleigh area, the DOT is trying to assure residents they will do what they can to not make the problem they are trying to solve temporarily worse. 

In a recent press release, they said, "Because of the heavy traffic along that corridor of I-440, no peak-hour lane closures are planned; although drivers can expect slower speeds because of work zone impacts. Most of the work will be done during the nighttime hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., as daytime restrictions will be in effect to ease the impact on travel."

The area doesn't just slow tens of thousands of Raleigh commuters, it's also a very dangerous section of road. NC DOT Division 5's division engineer, Joey Hopkins, said of the section, "We've got some safety issues there now. Crash rates along this section of 440 are about three times the statewide average for similar interstates in urban areas."

You can listen to more of his interview describing the need for the I-440 project in the video below. 

Raleigh City Council votes to add their own upgrades to the project

In a collaborative approach to building, the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation allows cities to add input and pitch in funds to "upgrade" their projects. The City of Raleigh this summer, in a vote by the city council, finalized their own plans to add upgrades to the state project. The city will contribute almost $7 million to achieve the following goals, laid out here. 

a) Median Planter along Jones Franklin Road to Western Blvd -- $2,680, 370
b) Sidewalk and Multi-use Path along Jones Franklin Road -- $143,443
c) Sidewalk along Athens Drive -- $8,748
d) Sidewalk along Western Blvd -- $340, 671
e) Sidewalk along Ligon Street -- $30,888
f) Multi-use Path along Hillsborough Street -- $69,210
g) Noise Wall Betterments (aesthetic treatments) and Gap Walls -- $3,676,280

Total City of Raleigh Cost for U-2719 --  $6,949,610