Durham Officials Want To Reduce Drive Time To RTP

Elwood Massey has lived in south Durham for over 60 years. He never thought it would grow as much as it has.

"Well, it's really hard to get out," he says. "Some nice people will let you out though."

City leaders have approved the 1,400-unit Ravina apartment project just a few miles away from Massey near I-40 between N.C. 751 and Fayetteville Road.

Ravina is the latest addition to an area that already has another apartment complex planned, Southpoint Mall, other office and retail space and 14,000 residential homes.

"It's hard to realize what's actually going to happen," Massey says. "People are going to go the easiest way. It's probably going to get too congested."

Widening I-40 and nearby feeder routes should help. Durham transportation engineers admits predicting that local feeder roads to the RTP will see reduced traffic is a gamble.