North Carolina Highway 147

NC 147
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	18 mi (29 km)
Existed:	1970 – present
Major junctions
South end:	NC 540 in Morrisville
	I-40 near Durham US 15 / US 501 in Durham
North end:	I-85 in Durham
Location
Counties:	Wake, Durham
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System ← NC 146 NC 148 →

North Carolina Highway 147 is a North Carolina state highway. The route connects the Research Triangle Park to both Western Wake County and the city of Durham.

Route Description

The route's entire length is a limited access freeway; linking NC 540 in Morrisville with the Research Triangle Park (RTP), Downtown Durham and Interstates 40 and 85. It is a fairly urbanized commuter-route and suffers from peak-traffic during conventional rush hours. Speed limits on the freeway range from 55 mph (89 km/h) to 65 mph (105 km/h).

From NC 540 to Interstate 40, the highway is a toll road, part of the Triangle Expressway. Tolling on this stretch of NC 147 began on January 3, 2012.

Its northern terminus with Interstate 85 is a partial interchange, where northbound NC 147 merges onto southbound I-85 and vice-versa. Travelers wanting to go north on I-85 and vice-versa must utilize the nearby U.S. 15-501 freeway.

Alternate names

Though the highway is commonly known as "North Carolina Highway 147" or "Route 147" throughout the state, the highway does have other known names it uses locally in areas.

• Buck Dean Expressway – official name of NC 147 within the city limits of Durham (approved: December 14, 1984).
• Durham Freeway – name given by NCDOT to NC 147 north of I-40 to Durham city limits.
• East–West Expressway – original name of NC 147 within the city limits of Durham; it was renamed to Buck Dean Expressway.
• Triangle Expressway – official name of the toll section of NC 147, overlaps with Triangle Parkway.
• Triangle Parkway – name given by NCDOT to the section between NC 540 to I-40.

Tolls

Northbound on Toll NC 147

Toll Rates of NC 147 from NC 540

From NC 540 to Interstate 40, NC 147 is part of the Triangle Expressway, the first toll road in North Carolina. Tolls are collected all-electronically and camera enforced. Tolls are $0.15 per mile with NC Quick Pass or $0.24 per mile for non-NC Quick Pass drivers.

Toll rates as of January 3, 2012:

To/From	Axles	NC Quick Pass	Bill by mail
Western Wake Freeway (exit 1) Davis Drive / Hopson Road (exit 2)	2 axles	$0.50	$0.77
	3 axles	$1.00	$1.54
	4+ axles	$2.00	$3.08
Western Wake Freeway (exit 1) Interstate 40 (exit 5)	2 axles	$0.50	$0.77
	3 axles	$1.00	$1.54
	4+ axles	$2.00	$3.08
Davis Drive / Hopson Road (exit 3) Interstate 40 (exit 5)	2 axles	$0.30	$0.45
	3 axles	$0.60	$0.90
	4+ axles	$1.20	$1.80

History

The first section of the road, completed in the early 1970s around downtown Durham, was designated Interstate 40. The road was later extended southward to where it now meets the current I-40, but the decision was made for I-40 to bypass Durham. The section inside the city was renamed. Eventually, the problems that caused the original I-40 extension to I-85 to be delayed were overcome, and NC 147 was extended through the city.

On September 6, 2011, the south termini at T.W. Alexander Drive (exit 4) was permanently closed to make way for NC 147's extension to NC 540 in Morrisville; this made I-40 the temporary southern termini for three months. On December 8, 2011, the southern extension was opened. Dubbed the Triangle Parkway, the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) stretch of road is also part of the Triangle Expressway.

Future

The only future project involving NC 147 is the proposed East End Connector (Currently in planning and environmental study).

Junction list

County	Location	Mile	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Wake	Morrisville		1	NC 540 (Western Wake Freeway) to I-540 to I-40 – Raleigh	NC 147 begins; Triangle Expressway continues NC 540 south
Durham			2 / 3	Davis Drive / Hopson Road	Signed exit 2 northbound, exit 3 southbound
				T.W. Alexander Drive	Permanently closed as of September 6, 2011
			5	I-40 to NC 54 – Raleigh, Chapel Hill, RDU Airport	Signed as exit 5A (East) and 5B (West)
			6	Cornwallis Road  – Research Triangle Park
			7	T.W. Alexander Drive
			8	Ellis Road
	Durham			US 70 Conn.	Proposed East End Connector (Currently in planning and environmental study)
			10	Briggs Avenue  – Durham Technical Community College
			11	NC 55 (Alston Avenue)
			12A	Fayetteville Street  – North Carolina Central University
			12B	US 15 Bus. / US 501 Bus. (Mangum Street/Roxboro Street)  – Downtown	To Durham Bulls Athletic Park
			12C	Duke Street	To North Carolina Museum of Life and Science
			13	Chapel Hill Street
			14	To US 70 Bus. / Swift Avenue  – Duke University East Campus	To North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and Northgate Mall
			15A	Elba Street / Trent Drive	To Duke Medical Center
			15B	Hillandale Road / Fulton Street	To Veterans Affairs Medical Center
			16	US 15 / US 501 to I-85 north – Chapel Hill, Duke University West Campus	Signed as exit 16A (north) and 16B (south)
				I-85 south – Greensboro	NC 147 ends; northbound exit, southbound enterance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Gallery

• 

  Northbound Exit 16A.

• 

  Southbound from the Lasalle St overpass.

• 

  Southbound from the Vickers Ave overpass.

• 

  Southbound from the Duke St overpass.

• 

  NC 147 winding around downtown Durham.

• 

  NC 147 southbound from the Cornwallis Rd overpass.

• 

  Northbound Exit 6.

See also

• American Tobacco Historic District
• Duke University
• Duke University Medical Center
• Durham Bulls Athletic Park
• Durham Performing Arts Center
• North Carolina Central University
• Research Triangle Park

External links

• NCRoads - NC 147
• NC 147 Exit List