NCDOT will replace the Rogers Road rail crossing in Wake Forest with a $46.2 million bridge, starting late 2026 or early 2027. A temporary traffic pattern comes first.

The railroad crossing on Rogers Road is going to be replaced with a bridge. The N.C. Department of Transportation will carry the road over the CSX S-Line tracks, and work is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.

The Town of Wake Forest shared the timetable on Monday. NCDOT’s own project page puts the start of construction in October 2026 and says that date may change.

The bridge will sit where the crossing is now, on Rogers Road (S.R. 2052). NCDOT lists it as project P-5707.

What will be built

The bridge will carry, according to the town and NCDOT:

  • two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction
  • one 12-foot left-turn lane
  • a 5½-foot concrete sidewalk on both sides

The approaches will have 5-foot sidewalks on both sides, set 4 feet back from traffic. Retaining walls at the approaches are meant to limit how much private land the project takes, NCDOT said.

Side roads and driveways that will move

NCDOT’s design moves several connections near the crossing:

  • Heritage Branch Road will be rerouted to join Capital Creek Drive, about a quarter mile east of where it meets Rogers Road now.
  • The driveway to Wake Forest Heritage Business Park West will move to a new intersection about 300 feet east.
  • The Heritage Professional Park West entrance will move about 200 feet east.

The project will also replace the 96-inch culvert under Rogers Road with a larger 108-inch pipe.

What it will cost

NCDOT estimates the project at $46.2 million, based on the current State Transportation Improvement Program. It says the figures may change.

  • Construction and utilities: $42.5 million
  • Right-of-way purchases: $3.7 million
Bar chart of NCDOT's estimated cost for the Rogers Road bridge: $42.5 million for construction and utilities and $3.7 million for right of way, $46.2 million in all, from the NCDOT project page for P-5707.
NCDOT's cost estimate for project P-5707. Chart by Wake Forest Journal
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NCDOT says it finished buying the land it needs in January 2024. The bridge has been planned for years. It was first studied in the early 2000s as part of the Southeast High-Speed Rail project. The Federal Railroad Administration approved it in a 2017 Record of Decision. NCDOT says it changed the design since then to fit new homes and businesses built near the crossing.

What it means for you

  • A new traffic pattern comes first. Before bridge work starts, NCDOT will set up a temporary traffic pattern on Rogers Road that lets drivers bypass the work zone, the town said. NCDOT has not yet published its dates or layout.
  • No detour details yet. NCDOT’s project page says it will give advance notice of major traffic changes, lane closures and access changes once they are confirmed.
  • School families: NCDOT says it is working with the Wake County Public School System on anything that could affect school buses, crossings and campus access. It has not released details.
  • Get updates by text or email by signing up on the NCDOT project page. Questions go to Rogers-Rd-WakeForest@publicinput.com or 984-205-6615, code 1830.
  • Other closures around town are on our road construction and closures page.