Crews Working To Improve West Raleigh Roads

In west Raleigh, the road building seems to go on forever. Several projects, designed to ease long-term commuter headaches, are a short-term hassle.

"It might benefit us later on down the line, but it seems like when they get through with one project, they're starting another one, so we never get through," motorist Tom McDonald said. "We're always being held up and I just wish somebody would get through with something before they start something else or decide they're going to fix something else."

The newest fix is widening Duraleigh Road from Ebenezer Church Road to Glenwood Avenue. Officials said it will take two years to turn Duraleigh into a four- and five-lane thoroughfare.

At the end of that project, a new road is taking shape. The Edwards Mill extension cuts through farmland from Old Raleigh Village to Wade Avenue. It may look like the road is almost finished, but the project engineer said crews still need to put down two layers of asphalt, work on the raised median, and then add lane markings and signal lights. Officials said the road will not be ready until Christmas.

Officials said the widening of Edwards Mill Road from Crabtree Valley Mall to the new Edwards Mill Extension should be finished by the end of the year. Once all three projects are finished, officials said motorists coming out of west Raleigh will have more options.

None of the contractors working on the west Raleigh projects are allowed to block lanes during rush hours. They can also be fined if the work is not finished on schedule.