Project

I-40 widening & DDIs

In 2021, Raleigh was named the #2 place to live in the country -- and the traffic shows it!

On this $360 million design/build project, we're extending 4-lane sections to 8 lanes, and 6-lane sections to 10 lanes.

Key work involves:
- Widening 12.8 miles of highway.
- Constructing 15 new or revamped bridges.
- Building a new flyover bridge from I-440 westbound to I-40 eastbound.
- Creating 2 Diverging Diamond Interchanges.

We're utilizing around 400 employees, incorporating every division in our company. The project stretches from the Beltline in Raleigh to just north of Cornwallis Road in Johnston County. ((scroll down for recent updates))

Spring 2022 Updates

We are currently working on a number of lane shifts as we work to:

  • Pave outside lanes.
  • Demolish old bridges.
  • Pave and tie-in ramps.

Safety & traffic management continues to be a top concern for both our employee team as well as the traveling public. Check out more details below on a few of our innovative solutions:

  • A ramp for median access, keeping our work vehicles out of traffic.
  • A materials conveyer that stretches over the highway, saving 34,000+ truck trips in traffic.

2 Diverging Diamond Interchanges

While original project plans only called for one DDI, the NCDOT has added a second Diverging Diamond Interchange for the I-40 project.

A DDI allows two directions of traffic – guided by traffic signals, pavement markings and concrete barriers – to cross over each other at traffic signals.

The DDI concept is fairly new in North Carolina, but it has proven successful in allowing drivers to come through an intersection more smoothly and safely.

These will be the second and third DDIs that S.T. Wooten has worked on, having previously helped the state build its second-ever DDI near the coast.

Innovation & Traffic Solutions

Traffic is a top concern. It impacts not only the traveling public but also our vehicles, work time, and employee safety.

We’re making it better for everyone:

1) For convenience, we’ve installed two asphalt plants close to the project in the towns of Garner and Clayton.

2) We have a temporary ramp that runs from a closed highway bridge right down into the median for direct site access. This ramp will eliminate 34,500 loads of asphalt from being hauled in traffic. It will likely close in late 2022.

3) At the Clayton plant, we will be using a materials conveyer that will allow us to deliver loads directly to the median and bypass traffic. This conveyor is expected to help save an additional 7,600 loads from being hauled in traffic. The conveyor is expected to be installed in late 2022 or early 2023.