There’s no getting around it: Construction barrels and closed lanes along Interstate 440 between Raleigh and Cary have been a logistical nightmare for drivers for years.
Many commuters told WRAL News they have difficulty navigating the construction, shifting exits and the Triangle’s first diverging diamond interchange, which opened at the Western Boulevard exit in 2021.
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That first diverging diamond was part of a larger project to widen I-440 between Walnut Street in Cary and Wade Avenue in Raleigh.
“I’m not a big fan of it,” said Valerie Vides, an NC State student. “They’re an eyesore.”
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, diverging diamond interchanges allow two directions of traffic to cross to the left side of the road temporarily. NCDOT said the interchange moves “high volumes of traffic through an intersection without increasing the number of lanes and traffic signals.”
NCDOT has a visualization of how the interchanges work on its YouTube page.
The first diverging diamond interchange in the United States opened in 2009 at the intersection of I-44 and Missouri Route 13 in Springfield, Missouri, and was completed in six months. NCDOT began using the design in 2014, and through March 2025, had opened diverging diamonds at Western Boulevard in Raleigh, in the Triad and in Charlotte. In March, NCDOT opened a new diverging diamond interchange on Airport Boulevard near Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Roughly four months after the Western Boulevard interchange opened, drivers told WRAL Investigates the interchange was “over-engineered,” and that traffic may have been too free-flowing.
According to crash data obtained by WRAL Investigates, the main trouble spot was the eastbound lane of Western Boulevard. When the eastbound traffic light turned red, the light for vehicles coming off of the beltline onto the same eastbound lanes turned green about 1.5 seconds later. Even at full speed, it would’ve taken eastbound vehicles between three seconds and four seconds to reach the interchange. The timing greatly increased the risk of T-bone crashes.
In crash data for November 2021, there was only one crash in the first two weeks. Once the interchange was opened on Nov. 16, 2021, there were four crashes, all in the eastbound lanes around the trouble spot.
Since then, the timing of the light change has increased to around eight seconds, allowing through traffic to easily clear the trouble spot.
Still, drivers like Vides said the project has been more of a hindrance than a help.
“Especially when I’m trying to merge and someone else is not allowing me to merge,” Vides said.
While the interchange was completed in 2021, many construction barrels remain in place on Western Boulevard and I-440. Some drivers say the traffic pattern and its ongoing construction deter drivers from the area.
However, engineers said it’s designed for safety.
“That one had some interesting right-of-way constraints and interesting merger behavior happening on and off the freeway that wanted to be addressed property for safety reasons,” said Christopher Cunningham, head of the North Carolina State University’s Transportation Research and Education Department.
Cunningham was not involved in the diverging diamond on Western Boulevard but says he does research throughout the state. He added that diverging diamond interchanges are becoming the norm, and they have some major advantages.
“You get a high bang for your buck – increased safety and operations,” Cunningham told WRAL News.
Delays hindered progress on the widening project
Widening I-440 began in the fall of 2019, with an estimated completion date of summer 2023.
Over time, the project has hit several snags, including in November 2021 when contractor Lane Construction incurred a $280,000 for a 28-hour delay in opening the Western Boulevard interchange. Portions of the project were also delayed, including construction on I-440 at Blue Ridge Road, and in 2022, WRAL News found that the widening was two years behind schedule.
While the initial cost to taxpayers was budgeted at $475 million, NCDOT spokesperson Kim Deaner said the agency won’t have finalized numbers on cost until the project is finished, adding that several factors out of the DOT’s control have affected the project's completion.
“The project has been delayed several times and one of the biggest reasons is weather,” Deaner said. “We had COVID hit during this time and had the price of everything go way up.”
The snags have drivers asking: When will the orange barrels be gone for good?
As of now, the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, and Deaner believes drivers will thank the state in the long run.
“Folks are going to love 440 once they use all those lanes and once all those barrels go away,” Deaner said.
For now, the barrels are a reminder to people on the Western Boulevard interchange to be wary of their surroundings while driving.
“Say patient, vigilant and alert,” said Chase Coon, a driver on I-440. “Drive for other people.”