Phase 1 of the Complete 540 project opened Wednesday at 6 a.m., giving drivers access to the new 18-mile stretch of roadway.
Phase 1 extends the Triangle Expressway approximately 18 miles from the existing corridor at N.C. 55 to I-40/U.S. 70 (future I-42).
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The first phase of the Complete 540 project cost nearly half of the project’s estimated cost of $2.5 billion. Construction began in 2019 and now – five years later – the road will reopen to traffic.
Officials and residents along the new section of roadway held a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday morning, when state and local leaders came together to officially mark the opening of a new stretch of 540.
"It's just going to be such a traffic relief and allow for so much maneuverability for people, even if you don't use it every day," said a member of the public who attended Tuesday's ribbon cutting. "If you're late for an appointment or you have to pick your child up from daycare, you have an option now."
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said it would complete the project in two phases.
With Phase 1 complete, the focus now shifts to Phase 2, a 10-mile stretch from I-40 to I-87 to complete the 540 loop.
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority broke ground on phase two in May. The second phase will extend the Triangle Expressway another 10 miles from I-40 to the existing I-540/I-87/U.S. 64/U.S. 264 interchange in Knightdale.
Construction is set to begin on Phase 2 in early 2025.
According to NCDOT, Phase 2 construction will be broken up in two sections:
- Triangle Expressway extension from I-40/U.S. 70 (future I-42) to south of Rock Quarry Road (R-2829A).
- Triangle Expressway extension from south of Rock Quarry Road to I-540/I-87/U.S. 64/U.S. 264 (R-2829B).
If all goes according to plan, the loop will be finished by 2028.