NORTH CAROLINA TAKES BIG STEP TOWARD ITS FIRST TOLL ROADS

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) voted to fund four proposed toll-ways, which include the Garden Parkway, the Monroe Connector, the Triangle Parkway, and the 2.73-mile long Cape Fear Skyway Bridge. The Garden Parkway will link I-485 near Charlotte/Douglas International with I-85 west of Gastonia. The Monroe Connector connects the U.S. 74 Monroe bypass and I-485. The Triangle Parkway, near Raleigh, will run parallel to I-40 and extend from the Durham freeway to I-540. The exact design for the Cape Fear Skyway Bridge has not been decided, though it could be constructed 225 ft. tall with up to 6 lanes. The new bridge will relieve congestion, aid in emergency evacuation procedures, and facilitate troop deployment from Fort Bragg and Camp Lejune. NCTA projects that these projects will take two decades to complete.