Years-long effort to widen I-40 south of Raleigh reached a milestone this week

Commuters should have an easier time on Interstate 40 south of Raleigh starting this week.

Contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation finished building two new lanes in each direction between the Raleigh Beltline and the U.S. 70 Bypass around Clayton. Most of the lanes on the eastbound side opened overnight Monday, while the westbound lanes were opened overnight Tuesday in time for Wednesday’s morning commute.

While the lanes are open, contractors still need to put down the final layer of pavement and new lane markings at some point in the future. There’s also additional work to be done at the Jones Sausage Road and U.S. 70 Business interchanges and the Rock Quarry Road overpass.

NCDOT contractors are also still working to add lanes to I-40 between the U.S. 70 bypass and the N.C. 42/Cornwallis Road interchange in the Cleveland community and to rebuild that interchange. That work isn’t scheduled to be finished until late summer 2024.

Contractors have been working to widen a 13-mile stretch of I-40 south of Raleigh since 2018. The project is taking two years longer than expected to finish, in part because contractors have had trouble finding enough workers and getting materials on time because of supply chain issues.

The widening project coincides with construction of N.C. 540, the Triangle Expressway, between Holly Springs and I-40 and the U.S. 70 bypass. The confluence of the three highways will result in a massive interchange, which is also still taking shape. The Triangle Expressway, a six-lane toll road, is expected to open in 2024.