NC-54/I-40 CORRIDOR

BLUEPRINT FOR MOBILITY

Recommended Master Plan

Study Area

Land Use – Transportation Vision

The NC 54 Corridor Master Plan promotes location-efficient decisions to help lower combined housing and transportation costs per household. It connects people and jobs, served by a more energy efficient transportation network that enables more trips to be made by walking, bicycling and transit. The plan defines target growth areas that help reduce sprawl in outlying areas.

Roadway Recommendations

70,000 vehicles per day

Objectives

• Improve safety for all users

• Enable multimodal travel options

• Avoid gridlock and its effects

• Preserve access to the maximum extent practical

Overview of Strategies

• Complete collector street connections

• Widen NC 54 to six lanes

• Improve capacity at intersections – Superstreet configurations and grade separations at key locations

• Address critical issues in the I-40 interchange area

• Modify the US 15-501 interchange

Durham Collector Street Plan

• Evaluated as part of the design considerations

• Essential for distribution of traffic

• Supports access with Superstreet modifications

I-40 Interchange Area• The major area of concern is the I-40

interchange and Farrington Road• Volumes in this area are expected to

approach 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles per day, and 9,000 vehicles in the AM peak hour alone (currently 45,000 vpd)

• ~ $900 of lost time per vehicle per year at the Farrington Road intersection during peak

• ~ $150,000 of time lost per year considering all vehicles using the intersection during peak

Recommended Design• Resolves critical conflict points• Maintains access and meets future

demand• Complete in phases

Slip Ramp for Direct Access to I-40 Eastbound

• Allows vehicles on Farrington Road south of NC 54 to access the eastbound I-40 on-ramp without delay from the Farrington Road / NC 54 traffic signal

Barbee Chapel Grade Separation

Recommended Optional

Superstreet Modifications

The “Superstreet” Intersection

• All remaining at-grade intersections with the exception of Hamilton Road

15-501 Interchange• Partial cloverleaf

design modification

• Removes unsafe weaving

• Integrated signals

• Safer bicycle and pedestrian accommodations

Summary & Conclusions

• Corridor’s strategic location is driving growth pressures – makes for a complex set of travel markets and issues

• The corridor needs balanced solutions

• Substantial capacity improvements needed by 2035 with or without new development in the corridor

• Light rail network can guide future growth into the planned station areas to reduce auto trip making and provide location-efficient housing

• Phasing to improve mobility in the short- and long-term