Let’s Accelerate the Capital Freeway
- March 13, 2025
- Posted by: Jacob Rigg
- Category: Blog
RTA members and partners,
RTA has endorsed the accelerated transformation of Capital Blvd. to a multimodal freeway from I-540 to the Wake/Franklin Co. line via dedicated toll revenue, potentially with a reduced toll rate during off-peak periods.
US 1 / Capital Boulevard is the main artery from growing northern Wake and Franklin counties to Raleigh, Research Triangle Park (via 540), and the heart of the Triangle area. Unfortunately, travel is increasingly horrific due to the amount of traffic, and the number of stoplights along the roadway. Fortunately, NCDOT has proposed an excellent, multimodal improvement that will eliminate all traffic signals and modernize the corridor. .
RTA supports this vital upgrade to freeway because it will improve travel all-day to, from, and across the northeastern Triangle area. It will also streamline commuting at all hours, including via transit, and help ensure that supply chains can remain functional. The challenge is there is insufficient funding to complete the improvements in a timely fashion, and as a result there is ongoing risk of further delays to construct the upgraded corridor.
The regional business community has seen the success of the 540/885 Triangle Expressway turnpike system – with more than 35 miles of new six lane, 70 MPH freeway open to traffic in southern Durham and Wake counties, with 10 more miles on the way. We have confidence that adding Capital Boulevard to that system will provide the revenue, acceleration, and essential mobility improvement this growing region needs for continued prosperity and quality of life.
This week, the RTA Leadership team endorsed a clarification of existing turnpike revenue retention statutes (§ 136-89.188). The current statute requires that revenue remain on the turnpike project from which the revenue was derived or a contiguous toll facility. We endorsed proposed language that specifies that a contiguous toll facility must either be open to traffic or in an approved MPO plan.
Of course, Capital Boulevard is already a “toll” road – it is taking a toll on our sanity, and on our ability to get to places in a reasonable amount of time. We are supporting the accelerated creation of a new, reliable, signal free option, as we have noted to the Raleigh News&Observer, CBS 17 and ABC 11 this year.
We expect to receive updated information this coming week at the CAMPO meeting (last month’s meeting was canceled due to snow). We all know that tolls are a viable option for acceleration of the Capital Freeway; RTA looks forward to a plan for dramatically accelerated implementation of relief for northern Wake County travelers using dedicated toll revenue.
Let’s get moving,
Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA executive director
