RALEIGH (WPTF) – Because of the expected impact of the next stage of the major 40/440 renovation project, state workers will be getting free bus passes as a way to reduce the number of cars on the road

The North Carolina Department of Administration is offering N.C. state government workers based in Wake County a GoPass as part of a pilot program associated with Fortify. The State is one of 15 public and private employers in the Triangle that invests in the GoPass program for employees.

“This is a great opportunity to encourage more people to consider public transportation as a viable option,” said Triangle Transit General Manager David King in a press release.  “For just a few dollars, the GoPass gives eligible workers a ride to and from work on all of the region’s transit systems. They avoid Fortify traffic, which is a plus for them as well as the thousands of other motorists who are driving through the construction area.”

Motorists driving through the project in Raleigh will soon see work ramp up on the I-40 portion of the project, known as Phase II. This comes as Phase I is on schedule and almost complete.  The I-440 West section from the I-40 split to the I-495/U.S. 264/64 interchange is scheduled to be in its updated traffic pattern by the end of December.  The I-440 East section is expected to be open in its three-lane pattern by the end of January.

The project is a road rebuild project that is necessary for the safety of the 115,000 motorists who travel through this area each day. A chemical reaction occurring beneath the surface of the 30-year-old roadway is causing the road bed to crumble.

In January, weather permitting, crews will phase in traffic shifts on both the I-40 East and West lanes near the Gorman/Lake Wheeler exits while construction takes place outside the barrier walls. Following that, crews will continue to put up barrier walls along the I-40 project work zone until this entire stretch of roadway operates in a three-lane traffic pattern.

To reduce traffic impact the N.C. Department of Transportation is asking local employers to help get 30,000 vehicles off the road during the following peak commute times. The free passes are one part of the effort. Since state workers make up a significant portion of those traveling through the area, other alternatives are also being considered such as flexible work schedules and allowing employees to work from home if possible.