Apex residents preview Western Wake Freeway

Construction of the state's first toll road is on schedule, North Carolina Turnpike Authority officials said Thursday during an informational workshop in Apex.

Posted 12:34 a.m. Apr 8, 2011 — Updated 11:35 a.m. Apr 8, 2011

APEX, N.C. — Construction of the state’s first toll road is on schedule, North Carolina Turnpike Authority officials said Thursday during an informational workshop in Apex.

During the workshop, residents got a preview of the Western Wake Freeway – a 12.6-mile segment of the Triangle Expressway toll road that is currently under construction.

The Western Wake Freeway will run from N.C. Highway 540 in western Wake County south of Interstate 40 to the North Carolina Highway 55 Bypass in Holly Springs. It is expected to open to traffic in December 2012.

Apex residents attending workshop said they welcome the driving alternative, even if it includes a toll.

“It’s going to certainly improve my ability to get to the north part of Raleigh, to the airport, to a number of places,” said John Swick, of the Wood Ridge subdivision. “I’m happy about it.”

The Triangle Expressway will collect tolls electronically. Transponders will be the preferred method of payment for the cashless toll system, but drivers will also be able to be billed.

A Turnpike Authority spokesman said the toll for the road could be about 15 cents a mile for drivers using a transponder and 24 cents a mile for those not using one.

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