WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — RDU International

is spending over $1 million to make driving to the airport less of a headache, but it will cost you.

RDU officials want to add a turning lane from westbound Interstate 40 onto northbound Aviation Parkway and add a loop ramp from southbound Aviation Parkway to eastbound I-40.

"We realize that there are backups, and it's going to get worse as development continues in this area," RDU spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said. "We wanted to ensure that passengers have easy access to the airport and that's why we have decided to take on this project ourselves."

There is no word yet as to when or if the state Department of Transportation will handle the project, so the airport is spending $1.5 million of its own funding to pay for the project.

"We're kind of a mini-city. We have construction projects going on all the time when we build new roads in and around our new construction such as parking garages, so it is something we've been involved with before," Hamlin said.

Airport officials said they want to make the changes by the end of this year.