NC 55 Bypass, Holly Springs, NC 

RESTRICTED CROSSING U-TURN INTERSECTION 

THE PROBLEM 

Traffic on an already heavily 

traveled mixed use corridor 

was expected to more than 

double within just a few years 

due to additional growth 

and the opening of a new 

interchange.

THE SOLUTION 

A series of four Restricted 

Crossing U-Turn intersections

along the corridor.

THE OUTCOME 

⯀ Reduced travel times on the 

main roadway.

⯀ Reduced number of 

potential conflict points, 

benefitting both motorized 

and non-motorized traffic.

⯀ Ability to handle increasing 

traffic for the next 20 years.

⯀ Innovative design solution

funded with private

investment in the form of a

public-private partnership

between NCDOT and a local

developer.

CONTACT 

Jeffrey Shaw, P.E.

FHWA Office of Safety

202.738.7793

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov

Mark Doctor, P.E.

FHWA Resource Center

404.895.6210

mark.doctor@dot.gov

CORRIDOR LOCATION 

35°39’27.2”N, 78°50’54.7”W 

FHWA-SA-14-064 Updated July 2020 

Background 

Located in Wake County, the NC 55 Bypass is a four-lane divided expressway. The 

surrounding area consists of residences, big-box retail, offices, and other mixed use 

development. Already a heavily-traveled

roadway, planned growth and development 

were expected to double traffic in the area 

by 2013. 

“

”

When we analyzed the corridor, 

we saw that a superstreet would 

actually work better than a square 

loop interchange ... We could 

process more traffic more efficiently.

Challenges 

The opening of a new shopping center and 

the addition of an interchange with I-540 

posed safety and operational challenges for 

motorized and non-motorized users of the 

NC 55 Bypass. While the road carried approximately 25,000 vehicles per day in 2011, these 

changes were expected to more than double the amount of traffic to 53,000 vehicles per 

day.1 

— James Dunlop, P.E. 

Congestion Management Engineer, North Carolina DOT 

Approach 

North Carolina DOT (NCDOT) knew it needed to upgrade the corridor to handle the 

projected increase in traffic, but funding was an issue. NCDOT considered different options

and quickly determined that Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersections, also known as

Superstreets, would move traffic more efficiently, providing better throughput than a square

loop interchange. RCUTs also could reduce conflict points between vehicles by half and total

vehicle collisions by 46 percent.2

 A local developer privately funded the new RCUTs. They

were planned to better accommodate existing developments as well as spur new ones.

Results 

Because the RCUT design creates 

a consistent progression along the 

corridor, the new intersections have 

increased efficiency by reducing 

travel times on the main roadway. 

Furthermore, engineers with the city 

of Holly Springs expect the NC 55 

Bypass RCUTs to handle increasing 

traffic for the next 20 years. Foot and 

bicycle traffic are accommodated by a 

signalized crosswalk to the median of 

Vehicle Turning at an RCUT Intersection Along the NC 55 Bypass

Source: RCUT Case Study Video FHWA-SA-14-063

the expressway. At the intersection with Green Oaks Parkway, pedestrians and cyclists can 

use the median as a refuge. With the new design, they do not have to worry about turning 

vehicles conflicting with their path while they cross the street.

1 Brian Shrader, “Holly Springs hopes ‘superstreets’ will solve growth problems,” WRAL, June 7, 2012, available at:

http://www.wral.com/traffic/story/11183210/

2 NCDOT, “Superstreets: A Tool for Safely and Efficiently Managing Congestion,” undated

presentation, available at:

https://www.hollyspringsnc.us/DocumentCenter/View/1262/superstreet

www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov

This Fact Sheet is a companion to the Video Case Study (FHWA-SA-14 -063)