S.T. Wooten leads $330 million I-40 Widening
project from Southeast Raleigh to Clayton
S.T. Wooten says it is spearhead-
ing the $330 million widening and re-
design project to improve traffic on
I-40. In conjunction with the North
Carolina Department of Transporta-
tion (NCDOT), the project will cover
12.8 miles of the highway extending
from the I-440 beltline in Raleigh to
N.C. 42 in Johnston County. The pro-
ject began in the fall of 2018 and will
be completed in 2022.
The contractor is adding lanes
throughout the project – expanding
four-lane sections to eight lanes, and
six-lane sections to 10 lanes. As for
the existing lanes, crews will add on
to them with 9.5 inches of asphalt
overlay. Crews will also make
changes to improve the interchange
at N.C. 42, converting it to an innova-
tive Diverging Diamond Interchange.
This unique design, in which two di-
Z M
Cary M
Knightdale Raleigh
Wendell Wendell
Apex Garner
Clayton Garner
Clayton Holly Springs
Clayton Clayton
rings Fuquay-Varina
Wilson's Mills
Selma Angier
Smithfield Angier
P Pine Level
Four Oaks
Four Oaks
Four Oaks
Coats Lillington
Lillington Benson
Erwin Dunn
Linden Newton Grove
Godwin Falcon
Wade rections of traffic cross briefly to the left side of the
road, will help increase traffic flow and allow free-flow-
ing turns onto the interstate.
In addition to building the Diverging Diamond Inter-
change along with several other interchanges, the pro-
ject incudes construction of 15 bridges. One of these
will be a new flyover bridge from I-440 to I-40 east
bound and the installation of two new bridges for the
Diverging Diamond Interchange at NC 42.
A company spokesperson says, with up to 10,000
cars passing through the I-40 project zone each day, it is
getting creative to keep traffic flowing smoothly during
construction. “The team will construct a unique temporary access
ramp that will run from a closed highway bridge down
into the median, which will ultimately save 34,500 loads
from being hauled in traffic,” a news release submitted
by the contractor says. “An additional 7,600 loads will
be saved thanks to a conveyor that will run from the as-
phalt plant straight to the construction zone.
The statement continues: “By the time it is com-
pleted, the I-40 design-build job will touch every division
at S.T. Wooten. That includes more than 250 construc-
tion crew members working alongside those of the 20
plus subcontractors working on the project. Construc-
tion crew managers will be meeting frequently and
communicating constantly with the NCDOT to ensure
each milestone is met and the job gets done right.”
F Eastover
The North Carolina Construction News — AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 — 3