Proposed highway for bicycles could parallel I-40 from Chapel Hill to Raleigh

A few years ago, Wake County commissioner Sig Hutchinson floated the idea of building a five-mile bike path parallel to Interstate 40 near Cary that people could use instead of driving to get to and from work.

Since then, the proposed Triangle Bikeway has expanded into a 17-mile paved path along I-40 and N.C. 54 between Chapel Hill and Raleigh. Regional transportation planners have refined the concept and identified a likely route and are now seeking public feedback.

The bikeway would be open to pedestrians and no doubt attract people who want a little exercise and fresh air. But its design and location would make the path an option for commuters, Hutchinson said.

“It’s going to be 14 feet wide or wider, so it’s going to be a bike superhighway,” he said. “It’s going to be focused on transportation.”

In Chapel Hill, the bikeway would begin at Fordham Boulevard and follow N.C. 54 out to I-40. From there, the bikeway would run in its own separate path along I-40, except for a detour through Research Triangle Park, to the N.C. Museum of Art park and the greenway bridge that crosses the Raleigh Beltline.

The bikeway would intersect existing greenways and trails, including the American Tobacco Trail in Durham and the Black Creek and East Coast greenways in Cary, providing access to Umstead State Park.

The route between Chapel Hill and RTP is conceptual, while some design work has been done on the section between RTP and Raleigh. The plan calls for the path to cross I-40 three times, including over a new pedestrian bridge near the N.C. 54 interchange in Chapel Hill.

The transportation planning groups for Wake, Durham and Orange counties will present the plan and answer questions during two online workshops on June 29, at 12 and 5 p.m. Information on how to attend can be found at meetsyou.trianglebikeway.com/. The recorded workshops will be available on the website after June 29 as well.

There’s also a survey asking people how they would use the bikeway and where they would want to get on and off. The route chosen by the planners was based in part on a similar survey that reached more than 2,100 people last fall.

Cost estimates come later

It’s not clear yet how much the bikeway would cost to build or how it would be paid for. More detailed design work is needed before planners can put together reasonable estimates, said Bonnie Parker of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“At this early stage of design, we don’t have cost estimates because they would be unreliable,” Parker wrote in an email. “This phase is about identifying the best route to take into further design. When we move from concepts into engineering/full design, cost estimates will be developed.”

Parker and Hutchinson both say the bikeway project would be eligible for state and federal grants, as well as support from the local governments along its route. Parker said once planners settle on a final route, they’ll begin identifying possible sources of funding and begin full design work on sections of the trail.

Hutchinson said the long-range plan is to continue the Triangle Bikeway through Raleigh to the Neuse River Trail east of the city. He said trails like these are not only good for people’s health and quality of life but they also help attract employers to the region.

“You look at the demographics of the folks who work at RTP, and those folks, they want to bike to work; they don’t want to sit in their cars,” he said. “I like to say it’s taking the worst part of your day and turning it into the best part of your day.”

For more information about the proposed Triangle Bikeway, go to www.trianglebikeway.com/.