In 2019, the N.C. Department of Transportation and other regulatory agencies identified and agreed on three concepts for a detailed study including a No-Build scenario and two freeway concepts.
This project falls within the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization’s jurisdiction. NCDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Plan, or STIP projects, must be consistent with adopted local Metropolitan Transportation Plans. The three concepts agreed upon for study were consistent with the adopted Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization’s 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plans which then designated U.S. 70 as a future six-lane freeway.
While NCDOT’s preliminary engineering, planning and environmental work was in progress, the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization adopted its 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. This updated plan identifies U.S. 70 as a four-lane project, which is incompatible with NCDOT’s proposed freeway upgrade concepts. The Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization has initiated a corridor study of additional non-freeway alternatives that align with the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plans. NCDOT has suspended work on the project and the project is not currently funded through the STIP.
2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan
When project planning began, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization jointly developed a 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. This plan identifies the U.S. 70 project as regionally significant and describes it as a six-lane freeway facility.
Durham Comprehensive Transportation Plan
The Durham Comprehensive Transportation Plan was adopted by Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization on May 10, 2017, and the N.C. Board of Transportation on Aug. 3, 2017. The 2040 Comprehensive Transportation Plan identifies U.S. 70 as a freeway.
On Feb. 19, 2022, the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization adopted a 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. This updated plan now identifies U.S. 70 as a four-lane project.
Coordination on the project with the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization will continue.