East End Connector - I-885 / NC-885 / NC-147
Spring/Summer 2022 - Route number and signage change
Summer 2022 - East End Connector - I-885 between NC-147 and US-70 open
Letter from NCDOT on Mar 23, 2022
I am the Resident Engineer with NCDOT overseeing the East End Connector (EEC) construction in Durham, NC and an associated signing contract changing the road designation of the existing Durham Freeway (NC-147) and a short section of US-70 in Durham. I-885 will be a new interstate connection from I-40 and I-85 in Durham once East End Connector is opened to traffic. A 5-mile section of connected toll road will also be affected by this route change.
The Department’s Signing and Delineation Unit has created a high-level, simplified map that is intended to illustrate the road designation change and associated exit number changes. Referencing the attached map and travelling south to north (bottom to top) the changes will be:
- TOLL NC-885:
Existing TOLL NC-147, from TOLL NC-540 (Exit 1) to I-40 (Exit 5), will change to TOLL NC-885.
Exit numbers WILL NOT change.
- 2 I-885:
Existing NC-147, from I-40 (Exit 5) to the beginning of EEC (Exit 9), will change to I-885. Exit numbers WILL NOT change. East End Connector (EEC) is a connection between existing NC-147 and existing US-70 in Durham, completing the link between I-40 and I-85 and therefore creating I-885. This is shown on the map between Exit 9 and Exit 10 on the I-885 corridor. East End Connector is still under construction and does not currently have any traffic on it. Existing US-70, from EEC (Exit 10) to I-85 (Exit 13), will be designated as both I-885 and US-70. Exit numbers WILL change to reference I-885 (not US-70) NC-147: NC-147 will begin at Exit 9 off I-885 and end at I-85. Exit numbers WILL change.
East End Connector is currently scheduled to open to traffic in late spring/early summer 2022. Currently, there are no exposed signs showing the road designation changes or exit number changes. In anticipation of the EEC opening and due to the quantity of sign changes that need to occur, I will need to release the contractor to begin installing the numerous signs along the TOLL NC-885, I-885, and NC-147 corridors in mid to late April 2022 so that everything is installed before the EEC is opened to traffic. Therefore, there will be a 2–3-month period when motorists will be traveling the existing road network, but the signage will begin to reflect the new road network.
It is my hope that this intermediate phase can be accounted for by the various mapping platforms to help alleviate as much confusion as possible with the traveling public. I will be coordinating a press release with this information so that the media can assist in getting the word out. I will also be sharing this information with the relevant Emergency Services in the area so they can prepare for this as well.
Please review the attached document, and my explanation of planned events. Let me know of any questions, concerns, or comments.