APEX, N.C. – The I-540 extension being constructed in southern and western Wake County may impact a lot of homeowners and affect their communities.
- The first phase of the 28-mile extension of I-540 began last month
- Some homeowners aren’t happy about it
- Some properties near the bypass will increase in value
The first phase of the 28-mile, “Complete 540” project began last month. It will extend the Triangle Expressway from the N.C. 55 bypass in Apex to I-87 in Knightdale, completing the I-540 loop around Raleigh.
However, some homeowners aren’t happy with the project.
Matt Michaels lives in the Hallmark subdivision in Apex, and he’s seen a lot of change over the past 20 years in the neighborhood.
"When we first moved here, it was pretty much farmland. And there's a lot of wildlife. Even in our neighborhood, there's a lot of wildlife," Michaels says. “I've been noticing the past few years, there's a lot more roadkill around this neighborhood. And I'm assuming that road is only going to make it worse. There's no room for the animals anymore."
Despite the traffic congestion, there are positives for the homeowners who are spared. Real estate experts say it could help increase some property values.
"Any kind of view or noise is going to be considered a nuisance, and is going to make your property, in theory, less valuable. Now, if you're located farther away, and it makes your property more accessible to the rest of the Triangle, through that loop, then it could increase those properties values. So like I said, it's on a case-by-case basis," Warren Summer of Fonville Morisey Realty says.
If you aren’t certain your property lies within the future construction zone, you are advised to get in touch with an eminent domain attorney.
