View Triangle Expressway in a larger map
The second leg of the Triangle Expressway will open Aug. 2, extending the state's first modern toll road south from Research Triangle Park to U.S. 64 in western Wake County.
At the same time, an existing leg of the 540 Outer Loop will lose its toll-free status. (7/10/12 update: See today's Road Worrier column with reader comments and TriEx toll rates.)
I'll be reporting on this Monday. Do you expect to drive on this new leg of TriEx? If so, I would like to hear from you. Please email me with your name and workday contact info, so I can catch up with you on Monday.
The first leg of TriEx opened in January (red on the attached map), extending NC 147 south from Interstate 40 through Research Triangle Park to the 540 Outer Loop.
The second new leg (blue on the map) will extend the 540 Outer Loop south from N.C. 55 to U.S. 64 in Apex. The third leg (purple on the map), now under construction, opens in December. It will reach farther south to N.C. 55 at Holly Springs. Off ramps are marked on this map with yellow icons.
Also in August, the N.C. Turnpike Authority will start collecting tolls on an established section of NC 540 (green on the map) between N.C. 54 and N.C. 55. This road was built separately, but state and federal officials agreed to make it part of the toll road as a means of connecting what otherwise would be two separate tollroads: Triangle Parkway through RTP (red) and the road once known as the Western Wake Expressway (blue and purple).
Many RTP commuters who squeeze through Apex on NC 55 every morning will welcome TriEx as an Apex bypass.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the
Comments
All TOLLS are bad - especially the 540 and NC Quickpass
Wed, 08/01/2012 - 09:46 — Work_Earn_BuyI'm from NJ and really don't like tolls.
Was so happy when I moved to NC 10years ago - no tolls.
Now there is a toll.
I can "accept" tolls on new roads, but the toll on the exisitng portion of 540 really bothers me. This is just wrong. Somehow this road was built and maintained without the toll. So, what is the stated "need" to put a toll on a section of road that was already built, driven on, and part of many people's commute and decision of where to live. It's one thing to add a road and make people pay to use, but to add a charge onto something that people are already paying for is wrong. It's an interstate, didn't my taxes already pay for 540?
Then there is quickpass. Again, I am from NJ and have had EZPass for years. Why on Earth could NC not use an already established transponder system? Sounds like total waste of money to me to create and maintain a separate system.
NC TOLLS - Just plain wrong
I will avoid using as much as possible.
I'll drive it
Sat, 07/07/2012 - 23:35 — Livingthegoodli...If I find it to be convenient, I'll drive it whenever I feel the need, particularly when I want to avoid the morning and evening traffic on a particular stretch of 55. I live close to one of the new entrance/exit ramps so I may benefit considerably from the new leg.
With respect to it saving people time AND money, I think perhaps some people may be able to save money using it. At the very least, to say that no one will save money is a gross overstatement at this point. After all, for some, saving time is saving money (especially if you bill over $200/hour) because the time saved can be used to actually make money.
Thanks for clearing NC 55 for me.
Sun, 07/08/2012 - 11:48 — jeeperI think it is a real stretch to say someone will save money. Your premise for the $200/hr person is that they will leave the house the same time as they always have and be converting the time savings to income. I sincerely doubt anyone is that efficient with their minutes in a day. My guess is a person that efficient would have already been speaking to their dictaphone and billing someone for their commute already. Also, if their time was that valuable to them, they would live closer to work.
I believe, just like you, the $200/hr billing person will be paying for the convenience he/she perceives they are receiving.
I'll Try to Avoid the Tolls
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 16:36 — jepthasWill I take it? Not likely. The idea of getting a bill for a small amount + fines you don't write a check for under $1 is a real turnoff.
no way
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 15:48 — readeracctI pay enough to drive as it is, especially with North Carolina's property tax on vehicles. I won't pay for tolls in my local area.
Garmin GPS > Avoidances > Toll Roads
I have the same thoughts as
Sat, 07/07/2012 - 00:20 — Tommy69I have the same thoughts as you, and my GPS has been set that way for some time now.
Will I drive it? Absolutely not.
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 15:40 — jeeperI have made up a spreadsheet reviewing my options. Included in the analysis, are miles driven, gas consumed, toll costs, and time saved. A gas price of $3.25 a gallon was used for this analysis. My vehicle gets 19 MPG city and 25 MPG highway.
If I were to use the toll road from US 64 to the Durham Freeway in RTP, it would save me 6 minutes commuting time each way, but cost me an extra $840 per year to reap that time savings.
If I were to take Hwy 55 to 540 to the Durham Freeway in RTP, it would save me 3.5 minutes each way, but cost me an extra $330 to reap that time savings.
These costs are incremental costs that are compared to my current route driven. When DOT closed the connection to the Durham Freeway off Alexander, my commute was increased by 1.4 miles each way with a resultant annual cost increase of $150.
In summary, the toll road has already increased my commuting expense by $150 per year. This miniscule time savings does not justify the added expense, so I will not be taking the toll road. I do hope everyone else is not as cheap as me and uses the toll road so my commute time will go down once the road is opened. I'll close with a quick thanks to all who choose to use the toll road. Thanks.
For me, I save money over the life of my vehicle.
Mon, 07/16/2012 - 13:56 — k_a_bobOnce the road is open all the way to Holly Springs, this road will cut 7 miles and 15 minutes off my one way trip, so 14 miles and 30 minutes each day. Or, it could be roughly the same miles and 45 minutes if I were to take 55 all the way both ways, which I will never do.
My vehicle currently gets 31.5 mpg to and from work. So if you only looked at the cost of gas (using the same $3.25 as above), each trip now costs me 3.43 per trip. If the non-stop nature of the new road increases my mpg by less than 1% to 31.8 mpg, each trip would cost me $2.64, or a gas savings of $1.58 per day.
But of course, we all know that is not the only cost of operating a vehicle. The govt allowance (estimate) for each mile is north of $0.50 per mile. If we just went with $0.50 even, that 14 miles per day would be a savings of $7 per day, which is more than the cost of the toll will be down to 55 in Holly Springs (about $2.50 each direction.)
I understand why some don't want to pay the toll, and I agree we shouldn't have the highest gas tax in the region, but in most cases it will be roughly a break even endeavor money-wise and a time saver for sure. I hope it's not used much and to increase demand, they drop the rates. Of course, it could work the other way and they try to bleed those who use it already, but that's another story for another time.
But there's no need to attack people because they choose to take a path that is best for them (this goes either way.)
Time is money?
Tue, 07/10/2012 - 23:19 — jbwhite99So if you save 12 minutes per day, but pay $840 in tolls? 12 minutes each day = 1hr each week. So you are saving 50 hours each week, which means it depends on whether you value your time at more than $16.80 an hour. Given that you are complaining about 147 closing, that says you work at the EPA. Here's a chance to save your brakes (how much does a brake job cost you?).
Granted, I am not happy about a toll road, and it is not fair that the state picked Cary/Apex for the new toll road. This is the price of progress. The other option is to move closer to RTP - that way you don't need the toll road at all.
I am very worried about NC 54 - I live and work near the 54/540 interchange, and I am not looking forward to seeing what happens when people like you get off on 54, and the traffic, already bad, gets a lot more cars.
Brakes aren't a game changer.
Sun, 07/22/2012 - 22:59 — jeeperYour calculations on the cost per hour saved is too low as I only drive to RTP 45 weeks each year (vacation and holidays). Besides that, a contiguous hour saved is worth more than fractional hours. When I arrive home, I usually kick off the shoes and relax in my recliner before dinner. Those 6 minutes saved are not significant to me.
I do not work at the EPA, the Durham Freeway closure affected EPA employees coming from the north, not the south.
I get my brakes done about once every five years. It cost less than $100 the last time I had them done. Again, not a game changer. The toll road is not part of my future plans
As far as the 54/540 interchange is concerned I won't be one those people invading your neighborhood. Good luck with that.
Please tell me where you get brakes for $100
Wed, 08/01/2012 - 09:56 — Work_Earn_BuyJust paid $500 for 4-wheel disks, pads, rotors cut and labor. And I shop around and have a US car.
Not being cynical - seriously, where do you get a brake job for $100.
I used to do brakes myself before all of the ABS stuff, and even then, on a very common US car, just the parts were over $100. Not to mention time to get the parts, lift the car, remove the rotors, take to shop to be cut/ground, brought home and reinstalled.
Good job jeeper
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 19:28 — nancyncThat's the intelligent way to analyze the worth of such an expensive route. And you clearly have your answer. While the closed connection to the Durham Freeway cost you, at least you're not voluntarily going to fork over more money for what should actually be more of a savings in time and money than the old route, which obviously it is not in your case.
Thanks Nancync
Sat, 07/07/2012 - 14:56 — jeeperIt is pretty obvious that this will not save anyone money. Some time yes, but it will cost you. That is why I get irritated when I hear the radio ads stating the new toll road will save you time AND money. It is just not true.