Motorists who have spent time traveling on the highways through the Raleigh, N.C., area over the last couple of decades are acutely aware of the capital city's often nightmarish traffic issues.
S.T. Wooten photo
During that time, though, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has spent billions of dollars to plan, expand and modernize the road infrastructure in and around the state's rapidly expanding Triangle cities, primarily made up of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
Among the larger projects that the state agency began building was the six-lane Toll NC 540, better known as the Triangle Expressway, the Tarheel State's first modern toll road and the largest transportation infrastructure project in North Carolina history.
The toll route currently forms part of the outer loop around Raleigh, one of the fastest growing cities in United States, according to the most recent data. Costing a total of $2.2 billion, the entire highway project is being shepherded by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA), a division of the transportation department.
Construction of the first section of the Triangle Expressway encompassed an 18.8-mi. stretch that cost about $1 billion. When it was fully opened to tolled traffic in December 2012, it utilized all-electronic tolling technology; made travel in the busy area west-southwest of Raleigh easier; and upgraded the commute times in and out of Research Triangle Park.
Seven years later, work began on Complete 540 Phase 1, an extension of the Triangle Expressway, which opened to traffic in September 2024. With its completion, the toll road was lengthened by 18 mi. east and south of Raleigh from N.C. Highway 55 to the interchange where Interstate 40 and I-42 meet.
Today, a pair of joint ventures are building the final 10-mi.-long extension of the Triangle Expressway toll road, also called the Complete 540 Phase 2.
The construction has been split into two sections, each about 5 mi. long, with S.T. Wooten in Wilson, N.C., and Roanoke, Va.-based Branch Civil working to finish one portion of the Complete 540 project's last phase, according to Brian Narron, S.T. Wooten's project manager at the work site.
His company is a well-regarded heavy highway, commercial, residential and design-build firm, while its project partner, Branch Civil, also is a highly reputable full-service commercial construction solutions firm.
Since ground was broken on the latest section of the extension in May 2024, Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten's $287 million contract calls for the partners to build the roadway north from the I-40/I-42 interchange near Garner, a town south of Raleigh, to a point just south of Rock Quarry Road near Auburn, an unincorporated community southeast of North Carolina's capital city.
Narron noted that the Raleigh offices of RK&K and STV Inc., two engineering companies, teamed up with the construction joint venture on the Triangle Expressway/Complete 540 extension's design.
A separate joint venture made up of Flatiron and Fred Smith Co. is under contract to construct the other segment from Rock Quarry Road north to the project's end at a busy corridor made up of I-540, I-87, U.S. 64, and U.S. 264 in the suburb of Knightdale, due east of Raleigh.
When asked why the two sections were divided among different construction teams, Narron explained that the same thing was done on the first phase of Complete 540.
"This approach allows opportunities for more companies to bid on the work," he said. "With so much construction in the area, this helps balance the loads of contractors while getting the work done faster."
Narron added that S.T. Wooten also built an earlier section of the Triangle Expressway, a "3.4-mile stretch which was then called the ‘Triangle Parkway,' and included the construction of seven bridges, seven box culverts, a noise wall, toll gantries and upgrades to several side roads that tied into the Parkway."
The final portion of Triangle Expressway extension, Complete 540 Phase 2 effort is projected to open in late 2028.
When that occurs, the Complete 540 project will have extended the Triangle Expressway from the town of Apex, southwest of Raleigh, and connected the capital city's other suburbs of Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale and Clayton.
S.T. Wooten photo
Its planners expect that the new toll road will not only help ease traffic on the Raleigh area's local roads but support planned economic development in the Triangle.
"This loop truly connects all of Wake County and the Raleigh-Cary Metro area," Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten said in a statement. "It's not just about transportation or commuting — it's about connecting residents with friends and family, amazing arts and cultural offerings and stellar healthcare facilities. It allows people to choose a home or area that fits them and still be able to reach all of this area's resources easily and quickly.
"By connecting many suburbs and easing congestion on alternate routes, residents and commuters throughout the Raleigh area should see instant value in this extension's completion."
Range of Tasks for New Route
Narron explained that prior to the first excavator coming on site last year, officials with both the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needed to review and approve more than 30 permit site areas across the joint venture's project.
"There are additional meetings at these sites during each phase of construction along with routine inspections by both agencies and on-site NCTA inspection staff," he said. "These include several jurisdictional streams, creeks and wetland areas."
The tasks being carried out by the Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten joint venture at the roadway extension site include clearing and grading, installing drainage, utilities and concrete, laying down asphalt paving, constructing a dozen bridges and 10 culverts and building tolling structures, Narron added.
"Clearing at the site is nearly complete, as is the construction of two bridges," he explained recently when asked what had been accomplished so far. "We're currently working on two additional bridges and there are three culverts finished with two more ongoing."
Utility relocations for power, gas and communications along the future road corridor at its intersections with U.S. 70 and nearby East Garner Road should be done by year's end as well.
Needless to say, the Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten joint venture and its crews will remain busy over the next three years in order to finish the project.
S.T. Wooten photo
Its 12 new bridges for the Triangle Expressway extension are being constructed across:
• the I-42 ramp to westbound I-40;
• Bushy Branch, a creek that will require twin bridges;
• White Oak Road;
• White Oak Creek (two more bridges);
• U.S. 70, where three sets of twin bridges will be needed; and
• East Garner Road and the railroad tracks parallel to it just to the south — again consisting of twin bridges.
A total of five new roadway interchanges also will be built as part of Complete 540 Phase 2, Narron said, at White Oak Road, U.S. 70, Rock Quarry Road, Auburn-Knightdale Road and Poole Road.
Planned upgrades and additions to other roads connecting to the Triangle Expressway as part of the joint venture's contract are either under way or will be in the coming years.
"We are tying into ramps on I-40 eastbound and westbound that were part of the interstate's widening project completed last year," said Narron. "Also, White Oak Road will be expanded and Raynor Road will be realigned at its intersection with White Oak to include a roundabout."
In addition, crews also are set to widen U.S. 70, and East Garner Road is due for a realignment where it passes under Toll NC 540.
Narron added that the NCTA's plans for the Triangle Expressway included avoiding as many homes and businesses as possible.
As a result of the NCTA buying various parcels of land within the future highway's footprint, some structure demolition was inevitable. Earlier in November, he noted that about 15 demolitions were included in the Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten contract — half of which have been completed.
"Those properties had already been acquired as part of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority's project," Narron said.
Multiple Crews, Equipment Working
To perform all the construction needed for the completion of the Triangle Expressway/Complete 540 project, the Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten joint venture each day employs more than 50 heavy earthmoving and compacting equipment from a variety of major manufacturers.
Narron said that the machines found at the worksite include large dozers and excavators, motor graders, off-road haul trucks and cranes, to name just a few.
While the Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten design-build group does not release specific construction figures, Narron said "we will move over 2 million yards of dirt and complete 4.6 miles of paving for our latest work on the project."
Two of the joint venture's major subcontractors at the job site are Young Construction Co. in nearby Wake Forest and Mountain Creek Contractors, based in Catawba, N.C.
On this last section of the Triangle Expressway, Young Construction is boring expansive storm drains under U.S. 70, while Mountain Creek is responsible for building most of the large culverts adjacent to the new roadway.
S.T. Wooten photo
During the times when the construction is at its busiest, Narron added, there are an average of about 200 people working on this portion of the last phase of the project — a population encompassing crews from both the joint venture and its subcontractors.
"Right now, Branch Civil/S.T. Wooten has around 100 employees on our section daily," he said.
Since construction started on the highway extension, Narron noted that there has been some scheduled nighttime work due to factors such as traffic congestion and excessive daytime heat.
"Work impacting traffic around the I-40/I-42 interchange was performed overnight," according to Narron, "and bridge construction over U.S. 70 will require some nighttime work so as not to impact traffic at peak hours."
Contributing to Raleigh's Vitality
A construction operation in business for 73 years, S.T. Wooten noted in a statement that part of its vision is to create "lasting communities," in addition to building roads, structures and other projects that help the people who use those creations to thrive.
"We are excited to be a contributing partner in the final phase of a roadway that has been strategically planned over decades," Narron said. "Our team takes pride in being involved in a project that will bring lasting value to the Triangle and surrounding communities."
Figures from 2024 and provided by S.T. Wooten provide context for how much the Triangle Expressway's Complete 540 Phase 2 project is needed for the Raleigh-Wake County metropolitan area. Raleigh itself topped 500,000 people in 2024, while its metro area numbers more than 1.66 million residents.
On average, between 53 and 66 people move to Wake County every day, according to S.T. Wooten, and Raleigh's metropolitan area also boasts of having the third-fastest growing construction market in the nation. CEG
