NCDOT begins construction on grade separation for S-Line project

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has begun construction on the grade separation project at New Hope Church Road in Raleigh, N.C., as part of the S-Line project. NCDOT notes the grade separation project includes construction of a bridge over the railroad to replace the existing at-grade crossing. The work will take about three years and cost about $22.7 million while similar work is happening at Durant Road in North Raleigh, where construction began in 2024.  

Crews have already completed work on the roadway embankments to the proposed bridge, and construction of the bridge will begin this summer. According to NCDOT, other work happening in the area includes acquiring necessary land for grade separations at Millbrook Road in Raleigh and Rogers Road in Wake Forest. Utility work is now underway at both locations. 

NCDOT notes the S-Line project will create a faster and more frequent passenger rail service between North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Northeast. NCDOT received a $1.09 billion federal grant in December 2023 to construct the first segment of the S-Line from Raleigh to Wake Forest.  

NCDOT has also recently received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to progress a $58 million design engineering grant for the entire 162-mile rail corridor between Raleigh and Richmond, Va. FRA Deputy Administrator Drew Feeley and other federal, state and private sector partners came to view the project last week.  

“This project is a game changer for those who travel along the East Coast corridor,” said NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson. “Once complete, the service will save over an hour of travel time between Raleigh and Richmond. The continued advancement on this important project would not be possible without our partners working together, including the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX, Amtrak, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and NCDOT Rail and Highway Divisions.”