When the NC Turnpike Authority cashed its $1B in loans yesterday, it also set the clock ticking for turning the section of NC-540 between I-40 and NC-55 into a toll road.
From http://www.ncturnpike.org/projects/Triangle_Expressway/
“Northern Wake Expressway (NC 540) is the portion of the Outer Wake Expressway that extends from NC 54 to NC 55. This 2.8 mile long segment, which recently opened to traffic and was constructed by the DOT with
STIP funds, is being transferred to NCTA in support of the project. This section will enable Triangle Parkway and Western Wake Freeway to function as a contiguous toll facility.”
From http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1626892.html
“The Triangle Parkway will extend the N.C. 147 Durham Freeway south from Interstate 40 for 3.4 miles to the 540 Outer Loop. A 2.8-mile piece of the 540 Loop, originally built with tax dollars in 2007, will become
part of the toll road.”
It looks like the commute of a lot of RTP employees is about to change drastically. See this site for more history.