Town engineer: Holly Springs 'superstreets' improving with time

"Superstreet" are a non-traditional type of intersection in which minor cross-street traffic is prohibited from going straight through or left at a divided highway intersection. Instead, drivers make a right turn, a U-turn and then another right turn to continue on the side street.

Engineers say the intersections are safer and increase traffic capacity without the cost of adding lanes. Stephanie Sudano, the town's engineering director, said there was plenty of negative feedback when the superstreets were first put in place, but things are improving.

"The signals are in place. Some of the new lanes are in," she said. "We are starting to receive positive feedback." 

The Holly Springs Towne Center opened a few weeks ago, and the Interstate 540 interchange linking Holly Springs to Research Triangle Park and north Raleigh opened in December. Town officials estimated that those factors would double the amount of traffic on the N.C. 55 Bypass, the biggest highway in the town.

"It's a mess," said shopper Nicole Wall-Parvin.  

The state Department of Transportation is still tweaking the design to ensure traffic moves as quickly as possible. New antennas, part of an automated signal synchronization system, are being installed.

Sudano said the design should be able to handle traffic for the next 20 years.