After nearly 6 years, effort to widen I-40 south of Raleigh hits a big milestone

Nearly six years after the first jersey barriers went up, the widening of 13 miles of Interstate 40 south of Raleigh is largely complete.

The last of the new lanes opened Friday morning. The N.C. Department of Transportation added two lanes to each side of the highway from the Raleigh Beltline to the N.C. 42 interchange in Johnston County.

The main contractor, S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson, finished the section between Raleigh and the U.S. 70 Bypass around Clayton in April 2023 . Friday’s opening covers the last mile and a half, including new bridges over Swift Creek.

The $405 million project included connecting I-40 to the U.S. 70 Bypass and N.C. 540, the Triangle Expressway, at a massive new rotary interchange. I-40 drivers will be able to use the rotary to access N.C. 540 toward Apex and Research Triangle Park after the southern leg of the toll road opens Sept. 25 .

The I-40 project also included overhauling the interchanges at Jones Franklin Road and N.C. 42. Both are now what are known as diverging diamond interchanges , where traffic crisscrosses as it moves over the highway to avoid left turns and reduce the time spent at red lights.

The N.C. 42 interchange was also reconfigured to include new ramps that give drivers the option of getting on or off at nearby Cleveland Road .

Though the lanes are all open, S.T. Wooten still has some work to do, including installing permanent signs and placing rumble strips and reflective markers in the pavement. That work may require temporary lane closures between now and the end of the year, when everything is expected to be completed.

When construction began in the fall of 2018, NCDOT expected the project would be finished sometime in 2022 . Several factors contributed to the nearly two-year delay , according to NCDOT, including the COVID-19 pandemic which led to delays in acquiring right-of-way and in getting materials. It also took longer than expected to move utilities, including a natural gas line.