It's the last new hunk of freeway the Triangle will see for a few years, just 4.5 miles long from Interstate 40 through Research Triangle Park to NC 55. But a lot of commuters are hoping NC 540 will cut a lot of time and stress out of the drive to work. How does it look through your windshield? Where does it take you, and how quickly? Does it cut traffic on I-40?
I knew I had to be in the right lane instead of my "comfortable" less traveled middle lane. I did not know that I would have to move over to an extended Globe Rd. exit lane and apparently neither did anyone else. There was a jam but I believe more due to confusion.
Morning commute time was about the same as my usual trip up Davis Drive. Did hit a little back up going south on NC55 in the evening at the two lights to the south of the 540 interchange.
Questions I have are "why the extensive interchange at Davis Drive?" and "why wasn't the 750' to 1,000' of NC54 completed as 4 lanes to the north of the 540 improvements"? Another example of our NCDOT's ability to waste tax dollars and miss opportunities to do the "best" job.
On the toll road, make the whole 540 a toll road and get the entire loop built.
One day the Triangle Parkway will interchange with 540. Obviously, there was not enough room at Davis Dr. to plan for that future connection.
As for the section of two lane to the north that did not get widened on NC54. Developers are planning large retail/commercial expansion just north of the 540/NC54 interchange. Additional widening will be done along NC54, including the existing 2 lane section.......AT NO COST TO THE CITIZENS OF NC!
Yes, the developers of the Wal Mart in Morrisville are going to have to improve that section of 54. http://www.ci.morrisville.nc.us/planning/documents/website_010.pdf However, that was not planned when 540 was designed so the DOT would have still left us hangining and we are lucky that someone is developing that section now (or at least int eh next year or so) and not 10 years from now.
I think it will be even more interesting when it becomes common knowlege that the 540 interchange with Kitt Creek/Davis is only temporary and the current plan is to remove that connection when teh rest of the Triangle Parkway is built. (drive on that section and see teh elevation of the future road grading and compare that to the ramp and it is pretty obvious anyway). Then you will need to go up the parkway further up Davis near Hopson to get off so Cisco, NetApp, CreditSuisse and eventually Fidelity people are screwed. At least the Davis widening will be done by then though.
Growing up in North Carolina, teachers would call North Carolina the "good road state." However, most experts now write about how North Carlina's roads are the "worst in the southeast." What happened? We probably will never know. However, I am increasingly feeling that NC DOT is rife with incompetent.
Examples:
1) I-540 and I-40 interchange. Already mentioned by several sources, it baffles me why the intersection between a 8 lane freeway (I-40) and a 6-8 lane freeway (I-540) would have ONE (1) lane? After all the Aviation Parkway and NC 54 exit ramps on both sides have at least 2 exit lanes. It doesn't take a traffic engineer to see that this is an inadequate design.
2) I-540 at Triangle Towne Blvd. The ENTIRE freeway is a minimum of 6 lanes (3 each direction). So WHY on earth did they drop I-540 westbound through the Triangle Towne Blvd interchange down to 2 continuous lanes? While not an issue now, as we grow, it is destined to be a chokepoint.
3) I-540 at US70. Why do you route the east side of the interchange through the traffic light at Westgate Road? Seems extremely inefficient
4) BL-85, I-40 at US 421 in Greensboro. Again, only 2 lanes through Death Valley for WB traffic, as opposed to 3 lanes continuous for EB lanes.
There are many more questionable designs, but the I-40, 540 interchange is one that is really inadequate!
I'm just here to share the news about http://www.notollson540.org. Note that recently STAC wrote their draft plan for rail and bus in the Triangle area, charged with looking at transit for our future. They failed to include roads in that transit plan. This leaves the NCTA to continue to attempt to move forward to toll 540. Imagine this, STAC is going to ask local taxpayers for a half cent increase in sales tax. Are you going to agree to that and at the same time allow a toll road to be built? No thanks. If we are raising the sales tax for transit funding, the entire 540 loop should be built and be free to drive.
NC 540 and toll roads
I cannot agree with the proposed tolls for NC 540 to build new sections. If it takes longer to build it so be it. If parts of it go toll then the whole loop should be toll. It is unfair to only put tolls on a portion of it.