NC 540 (Triangle Expressway) Southeast Extension (R-2828)

Referred to as the Southeast Extension of the Triangle Expressway, the Complete NC 540 project, from U.S. 401 to I-40, is a North Carolina Turnpike Authority design-build project. The $403 million project will bring the Raleigh Outer Loop (I-540) full circle. DRMP’s innovative Alternative Technical Concept (ATC) saved more than $1 million in costs.

DRMP provided project delivery, quality control, and interdisciplinary coordination services for the roadway design, bridge design, supplemental surveying, and subsurface utility coordination (SUE) elements for the 1.8-mile roadway portion of the project. DRMP also designed three bridge sites for the portion of the R-2828 project from east of Old Stage Road to east of Sauls Road.

NC-540 over the Juniper Branch bridge represents one of the more unique aspects of this project. The structures of the bridge are on a curved alignment with trapezoidal spans, and each of the 52 girders on the two bridges have a different length. DRMP proposed an Alternative Technical Concept (ATC) with an estimated cost savings of more than $1.3 million in construction, inspection, and maintenance. DRMP was able to reduce the bridge lengths from the original concept plans, while maintaining the requirements for the environmentally sensitive area. In developing the ATC, DRMP and the prime consultant worked together to maintain a 50-foot buffer to Juniper Branch and limit impacts to the wetland areas. The new bridge layout saved approximately 11,500 square-feet of bridge deck while making allowances for future bridge widening.

DRMP’s innovative design work, using the ATC, ultimately passes the cost savings down to taxpayers and is a major benefit of implementing the design-build method for project delivery. The completion of the overall Complete NC 540 project will ultimately connect drivers in the Raleigh area. This project is currently under construction.