Poole Road widening in Wake County: what it means if you're buying land nearby

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants to widen Poole Road in Wake County, and it is asking the public what it thinks. On Sept. 24, 2026, NCDOT announced a plan to turn Poole Road from two lanes into four, with a center median, between Barwell Road and Hodge Road. Comments are open until Oct. 12, 2026.

NCDOT says the goal is to handle growth and rising traffic, reduce future congestion and support expected development.

What NCDOT is proposing

The details are on the project page, where the work is listed as projects HL-0133L and HL-0133A.

• The Neuse River crossing. The current two-lane bridge, built in 1959, would stay and carry westbound traffic. A new two-lane bridge just south of it would carry eastbound traffic. A separate 12-foot bridge for walkers and cyclists is proposed on the north side.
• Turn lanes. New left-turn lanes are planned at Riverview Road, the Poole Road Park entrance, Misty River Drive, Serenity Creek Drive and River Dreams Drive. A traffic signal at River Dreams Drive will be installed by a separate project, which NCDOT expects to finish before the widening begins.
• Hodge Road. Eastbound Poole Road would get two left-turn lanes onto northbound Hodge Road, and Hodge Road would get an extra through lane north of Poole Road.
• Walking and biking. Sidewalks and multi-use paths (wide paths shared by walkers and cyclists) are planned along the south side, and a new path on the north side from Hodge Road to the new Neuse path bridge.

NCDOT is also coordinating with the Complete 540 project. As part of that project, Poole Road will be moved onto a new alignment starting at Hodge Road, connecting to a new interchange less than half a mile east.

NCDOT estimates the total cost at $43.0 million, including $33.7 million for construction and $4.1 million for buying land. It says these are estimates and may change.

What it means if you're looking at land here

NCDOT's schedule has it starting to buy right of way (the strip of land a road sits on) in summer 2027 and starting construction in fall 2029. NCDOT says those dates may change. The project page links to NCDOT's brochure and FAQ for property owners on how the state buys land for roads, which is worth reading if a lot you like fronts Poole Road.

During construction, NCDOT expects traffic to keep moving most of the time. The Neuse River bridge will need short nighttime closures, with a detour of about four miles via New Hope Road, I-87 and Hodge Road. NCDOT plans to keep the Neuse River Greenway, Poole Road Park and the Poole Road Canoe Launch open during their dawn-to-dusk hours, though overnight closures may be needed. Traffic noise studies are underway.

NCDOT says the project should have only minor impacts on protected parks and recreation areas, and it plans to ask for a "de minimis" finding under the federal Section 4(f) law. That means a finding of no harm to what makes those places protected. The public can comment on that, too.

At the Sept. 28 meeting, ABC11 reported that NCDOT project manager Reid Davidson pointed to upcoming developments on both sides of Poole Road, in Raleigh and Knightdale. He said the widening is "needed to help address the growth that is coming to the area." ABC11 also reported that some neighbors raised concerns based on earlier road-widening projects along Poole Road. According to ABC11, Ulysses Lane, who leads the Southeast Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council, said there are still "a lot of unanswered questions about the impact."

How to weigh in

NCDOT held an informal open house on Sept. 28 at the Barwell Road Community Center in Raleigh. If you missed it, you can still comment by Oct. 12, 2026:

1. On the project webpage.
2. By email to poole-barwell-hodge@publicinput.com.
3. By calling 984-205-6615 and entering project code 11037.

NCDOT's project contact is S. Reid Davidson, P.E., NCDOT Highway Division 5, 2612 N. Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704. For questions about how a road project could affect a specific purchase, a real estate attorney can help.