To speed up Capital Blvd. expansion, the Triangle could add tolls
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The Raleigh City Council appears ready to support using toll lanes to speed up the expansion of Capital Boulevard into a six-lane highway between Raleigh and Wake Forest.
Why it matters: The section of Capital Boulevard, also known as U.S. 1, is among the region's most congested roadways, with an increasing number of commuters from fast-growing Wake Forest and Franklin County using it to get to and from Raleigh for work and shopping.
- But the long-planned widening of the roadway has been stalled several times, and it faces further delays due to competition from other projects and rising costs, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Driving the news: The ultimate decision will be in the hands of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) — the regional planning organization for Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston and Wake counties — which plans to vote on the matter in May.
- The Raleigh City Council, which was given a presentation this week on the potential of toll roads, indicated it would write a letter in support of the move.
- "The sense is, pragmatically, that this project will never get built unless there is some sort of toll," Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said at Raleigh's Tuesday council meeting, "and if there is a toll it would be best to do the whole road and not just express lanes."
Zoom in: The N.C. Turnpike Authority has studied a 10-mile section of Capital Boulevard, stretching from Interstate 540 to Purnell Road at the Wake-Franklin county line.
- Currently, the project is not expected to begin until 2031 — though that timeline could be delayed. If it's transformed into a toll road, construction could begin as early as 2027.
- It is anticipated to be a six-year construction project, and only local governments can request a toll road.
The N.C. Turnpike Authority has presented four options to CAMPO:
- Toll the entire 10-mile section, which would raise around $800 million and begin construction in spring 2027.
- Toll the entire section but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $1.4 billion and beginning construction in spring 2027.
- Toll one express lane, which would raise $100 million and begin construction in fall 2030.
- Toll one express lane but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $600 million and beginning construction in fall 2027.
Options 1, 2 and 4 would require some legislative action from the N.C. General Assembly.
What they're saying: Raleigh City Council Member Megan Patton said many residents in north Raleigh are worried they will lose crossing access to Capital Boulevard and be forced to use the toll road.
- She said many of her constituents would prefer that this project not happen at all.
- "I think everyone would probably agree, if we can get something not tolled, we would take it," Chris Lukasina, executive director of CAMPO, responded. "The real issue came in that this is the fifth delay [for this project already]. .... Do we want to wait two more years for what is likely another delay to the project?"
State of play: The public can share their opinions with CAMPO online through May 14 at publicinput.com/US_1_TollingOptions.