An ambitious schedule of highway upgrades in and around the Town of Wake Forest has officials at the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) working vigorously to keep local residents and businesses apprised of anticipated disruptions.
“Work zones will always create congestion,” says Kim Deaner, NCDOT’s Public Information Officer for Division 5. “NCDOT’s goal is to limit disruption for businesses and residents. That will be our goal throughout the process.”
Some motorists have already noticed work along Rogers Road in advance of a $46.2 million “grade separation” project at the CSX rail crossing. In September, crews began utility work in advance of NCDOT’s P-5707, which impacts Rogers Road from Forestville Road to just below South Main Street. The well-traveled commercial corridor includes many businesses, medical offices, and schools. The Rogers Road Grade Separation will ultimately create safer, more reliable passage for vehicle traffic while serving as the first upgrade supporting the S-Line Rail initiative. The new bridge, which replaces the existing “at-grade” crossing, will include 5.5-foot sidewalks on both sides, each with 4-foot buffers from vehicle lanes, significantly improving the area’s walkability.
The current work, which centers on the installation of a natural gas line under Rogers Road near Capital Creek Drive, requires lane closures taking place between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am. The state is also working on related storm drainage and utility infrastructure. Otherwise, NCDOT intends to “let” the project (open it for bids from providers) in October, with contracting taking place over the following two months. Once those tasks are complete, work on the separation project should begin in earnest by January 2027…