"Peanutabout" coming to Raleigh

[Dirt Roads]

NCDOT has designed a peanut roundabout (locally dubbed the "Peanutabout") for the intersection of Lake Wheeler Road with (to-be-combined) Goode Street and Mercury Street.  The project will close Lake Wheeler Road for two years.  The associated WRAL News article here, but if you search you should find more detailed articles.

[74/171FAN]

VDOT built one on VA 106 at SR 630 (Bull Hill Road) in Prince George County last year.  My mom felt safer driving it than in a normal roundabout for some reason.

[Rothman]

NYSDOT is considering one at US 11 and NY 49 in Central Square, NY.

[1995hoo]

I'd rather have that than the chained mini-roundabouts you encounter in the UK (things like the Magic Roundabout excepted, of course).

[kalvado]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

[Rothman]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

You okay, bro?  You're drifting wackier and wackier.

[kalvado]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

You okay, bro?  You're drifting wackier and wackier.

Just look at the map. They are spending $17M for an intersection which currently uses 2 stop signs.

[jdunlop]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

You okay, bro?  You're drifting wackier and wackier.

Just look at the map. They are spending $17M for an intersection which currently uses 2 stop signs.

One, it's a City of Raleigh road and project, not NCDOT.  State maintenance doesn't start until close to I- 40.

Lake Wheeler is a connection to Dix Park, the farmer's market and indirectly, NC State's Centennial Campus, so a rather important local road.  (Dox Park is a relatively new park on a historic site, and the City is building new amenities there, so traffic to the park will be increasing.). With these new pedestrian connections to those sites, the city wants to slow vehicular traffic down while improving access. So they're planning ahead and reconfiguring the corridor for the next 20+years. Hence the project.

Perhaps you'll understand the project better by reading the City's web page on the project, rather than a brief news story.

https://raleighnc.gov/projects/lake-wheeler-road-improvement-project

NCDOT built its first peanut-shaped roundabout about ten years ago in Castle Hayne, just outside Wilmington.

[Dirt Roads]

After looking at it .. fee questions.

...what looks like a sleepy collector road

That sleepy collector road is also the main entrance to the main campus of the State Farmers Market system, but I digress.

Similar to the Capital Beltway surrounding D.C., the property "Inside the Beltline" has increased in value ten-fold or more since 2000.  Therefore, most of the huge development has either been: (A) Downtown; (B) South Saunders; (C) RTP and Durham; or (D) the farout reaches of Western Wake (gobbled up by Cary if not already annexed by somebody else).  But this stretch of the Beltline seems primed for huge development.  But hardly any of the remaining area "Inside the Beltline" (including this area) has the necessary infrastructure ((yet)) to support massive development.

Next door to the State Farmers Market is the N.C. State Centennial Campus, which includes a significant tech and biotech incubator program.  I'm not aware of anything, but I can't help but think that the northern stretch of Lake Wheeler is on the cusp of development by some big tech/biotech industries.

[kalvado]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

You okay, bro?  You're drifting wackier and wackier.

Just look at the map. They are spending $17M for an intersection which currently uses 2 stop signs.

One, it's a City of Raleigh road and project, not NCDOT.  State maintenance doesn't start until close to I- 40.

Lake Wheeler is a connection to Dix Park, the farmer's market and indirectly, NC State's Centennial Campus, so a rather important local road.  (Dox Park is a relatively new park on a historic site, and the City is building new amenities there, so traffic to the park will be increasing.). With these new pedestrian connections to those sites, the city wants to slow vehicular traffic down while improving access. So they're planning ahead and reconfiguring the corridor for the next 20+years. Hence the project.

Perhaps you'll understand the project better by reading the City's web page on the project, rather than a brief news story.

https://raleighnc.gov/projects/lake-wheeler-road-improvement-project

NCDOT built its first peanut-shaped roundabout about ten years ago in Castle Hayne, just outside Wilmington.

yet...
The street in question, Lake Wheeler Rd, has an AADT of 5100. Side roads in question are not significant enough to have AADT published.
What would justify a pretty expensive installation, seemingly very overpriced one?

Well, scope of work is 4 (four) roundabouts on a 3/4 mile stretch, which  again  should be a punishable offence. It's also pretty unclear that 5k AADT warrant significant improvements. Until there is a development planned somewhere

Lake Wheeler is a connection to Dix Park, the farmer's market and indirectly, NC State's Centennial Campus, so a rather important local road.

Except for the part used for that access is NOT where the work is planned.

So, to summarize, a "very busy road" with AADT of 5000 is being (already) closed for 2 years, because apparently it's not a big deal..

[Dirt Roads]

I missed this one.  Last year, NCDOT announced the construction of a "Peanut Roundabout" on Old Greensboro Road adjacent to the US-421 Salem Parkway (Exit 228, which is marked "Linville Road").  That intersection is being modified as part of the replacement of Bridge 211 over the Norfolk Southern tracks north and parallel of the Parkway.  Not sure if construction has started yet.

[Dirt Roads]

Next door to the State Farmers Market is the N.C. State Centennial Campus, which includes a significant tech and biotech incubator program.  I'm not aware of anything, but I can't help but think that the northern stretch of Lake Wheeler is on the cusp of development by some big tech/biotech industries.

It's paywalled, but the Triangle Biz Journal reported in April 2026 that a property owner is listing a large property up for development on Lake Wheeler in South Raleigh with one condition: "no townhomes please".  (Unlike others areas of the Beltline, the borders of Raleigh extend southward along Lake Wheeler so it is possible that this property is down there instead of up here).

[darmstarm]

Recent State alum here - Man, they just finished the bridge by Blue Ridge Rd that was such a pain for football traffic, and now Dix and Centennial traffic is about to become just as bad for two years? Glad I got out when I did...

Next door to the State Farmers Market is the N.C. State Centennial Campus, which includes a significant tech and biotech incubator program.  I'm not aware of anything, but I can't help but think that the northern stretch of Lake Wheeler is on the cusp of development by some big tech/biotech industries.

If I had to guess about the WRAL article discussing the area "[outgrowing] the current roadway" this is almost certainly speak for "they're planning 40 new apartment complexes along the road for State students and people need a way to safely walk/bike to Centennial". I didn't live on Lake Wheeler but I was very close to it, and it was not the safest road for pedestrian traffic. There's a pretty big student housing crisis going on (last year was the first year they couldn't guarantee freshmen housing) so it's been a big push to expand the area. Not entirely sure if "no townhomes" also means "no apartment complexes" or not. Or it could just be more biotech, I guess.

[kalvado]

Next door to the State Farmers Market is the N.C. State Centennial Campus, which includes a significant tech and biotech incubator program.  I'm not aware of anything, but I can't help but think that the northern stretch of Lake Wheeler is on the cusp of development by some big tech/biotech industries.

It's paywalled, but the Triangle Biz Journal reported in April 2026 that a property owner is listing a large property up for development on Lake Wheeler in South Raleigh with one condition: "no townhomes please".  (Unlike others areas of the Beltline, the borders of Raleigh extend southward along Lake Wheeler so it is possible that this property is down there instead of up here).

Map is still above the paywall, and that one is on the other side of I-40.

There are some high rises coming up in the northern stretch of the project, labeled as  "Hammel development" - which may explain part of it.

[kalvado]

Recent State alum here - Man, they just finished the bridge by Blue Ridge Rd that was such a pain for football traffic, and now Dix and Centennial traffic is about to become just as bad for two years? Glad I got out when I did...

Next door to the State Farmers Market is the N.C. State Centennial Campus, which includes a significant tech and biotech incubator program.  I'm not aware of anything, but I can't help but think that the northern stretch of Lake Wheeler is on the cusp of development by some big tech/biotech industries.

If I had to guess about the WRAL article discussing the area "[outgrowing] the current roadway" this is almost certainly speak for "they're planning 40 new apartment complexes along the road for State students and people need a way to safely walk/bike to Centennial". I didn't live on Lake Wheeler but I was very close to it, and it was not the safest road for pedestrian traffic. There's a pretty big student housing crisis going on (last year was the first year they couldn't guarantee freshmen housing) so it's been a big push to expand the area. Not entirely sure if "no townhomes" also means "no apartment complexes" or not. Or it could just be more biotech, I guess.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4gjmkQaVR2tGYxqf7

[jdunlop]

After looking at it .. fee questions.
1. Why the hell they need to put this funny thing in what looks like a sleepy collector road
2. How much traffic is there to warrant spending $17M?
3. How many people need to be DOGEd from NCDOT if they are closing the road for 2 f.cking years?
4. Since there is no traffic and road can be closed... Would some liberal application of capital punishment in leu of DOGE be a cheaper alternative to spending $17M??

You okay, bro?  You're drifting wackier and wackier.

Just look at the map. They are spending $17M for an intersection which currently uses 2 stop signs.

One, it's a City of Raleigh road and project, not NCDOT.  State maintenance doesn't start until close to I- 40.

Lake Wheeler is a connection to Dix Park, the farmer's market and indirectly, NC State's Centennial Campus, so a rather important local road.  (Dox Park is a relatively new park on a historic site, and the City is building new amenities there, so traffic to the park will be increasing.). With these new pedestrian connections to those sites, the city wants to slow vehicular traffic down while improving access. So they're planning ahead and reconfiguring the corridor for the next 20+years. Hence the project.

Perhaps you'll understand the project better by reading the City's web page on the project, rather than a brief news story.

https://raleighnc.gov/projects/lake-wheeler-road-improvement-project

NCDOT built its first peanut-shaped roundabout about ten years ago in Castle Hayne, just outside Wilmington.

yet...
The street in question, Lake Wheeler Rd, has an AADT of 5100. Side roads in question are not significant enough to have AADT published.
What would justify a pretty expensive installation, seemingly very overpriced one?

Well, scope of work is 4 (four) roundabouts on a 3/4 mile stretch, which  again  should be a punishable offence. It's also pretty unclear that 5k AADT warrant significant improvements. Until there is a development planned somewhere

Lake Wheeler is a connection to Dix Park, the farmer's market and indirectly, NC State's Centennial Campus, so a rather important local road.

Except for the part used for that access is NOT where the work is planned.

So, to summarize, a "very busy road" with AADT of 5000 is being (already) closed for 2 years, because apparently it's not a big deal..

The road can be closed now, as traffic can be diverted sufficiently.  But you act as if current conditions equal future conditions, such as  " Side roads in question are not significant enough to have AADT published".  First, since they are not state roads, AADTs wouldn't typically be published on the STATE AADT Map.  (I don't recall if Raleigh has a similar public facing map.)

Second, the development of Dix Park will create new traffic patterns that will affect this and other roads in the area.  And increase volume on those side roads.  As mentioned on their website, this project is to build a "complete street", to provide pedestrian and bicycle facilities that do not exist today on a route that will, in the City's view, exist in the future.

Regarding the roundabouts, from the tone of your messages, it would seem that you'd be fine with four signals in the 3/4 mile stretch.  But why are you so opposed to four roundabouts, that would be safer and more efficient, and in the long run less expensive than those four signals?

[kphoger]

Regarding the roundabouts, from the tone of your messages, it would seem that you'd be fine with four signals in the 3/4 mile stretch.  But why are you so opposed to four roundabouts, that would be safer and more efficient, and in the long run less expensive than those four signals?

Not to speak for |kalvado|, but...

Even if we accept "would be safer" without questioning it (and there's a whole thread devoted to questioning it), that still doesn't necessarily mean it's worth the additional cost in this case above and beyond what those stoplights would cost to install.

[kalvado]

Regarding the roundabouts, from the tone of your messages, it would seem that you'd be fine with four signals in the 3/4 mile stretch.  But why are you so opposed to four roundabouts, that would be safer and more efficient, and in the long run less expensive than those four signals?

Not to speak for |kalvado|, but...

Even if we accept "would be safer" without questioning it (and there's a whole thread devoted to questioning it), that still doesn't necessarily mean it's worth the additional cost in this case above and beyond what those stoplights would cost to install.

Well, just to recap:
what wasn't mentioned is that "peanut" isn't an isolated project, but a part of a large street reconstruction coupled to massive ongoing development. That totally changes the cost scale.  I wonder if at-grade railroad crossing sees a lot of traffic, it may affect utility of entire project  big time.
As for roundabouts, they seem to be the minimum size ones, with no metering at least from one direction - in other words they will not work as advertised. Approaches - at least on preliminary plans - are higher speed ones.  Crosswalks adjacent to roundabouts are a can of worms (I know since I have to use one). Bike crossings in those locations... May those riders rest in peace.
I know synchronized traffic lights are complicated (definitely beyond NYS DOT qualifications, for example). But that may be a more reasonable option to look at IMHO.

[ObsidianTheFox]

Regarding the roundabouts, from the tone of your messages, it would seem that you'd be fine with four signals in the 3/4 mile stretch.  But why are you so opposed to four roundabouts, that would be safer and more efficient, and in the long run less expensive than those four signals?

Not to speak for |kalvado|, but...

Even if we accept "would be safer" without questioning it (and there's a whole thread devoted to questioning it), that still doesn't necessarily mean it's worth the additional cost in this case above and beyond what those stoplights would cost to install.

The nearby railroad crossing might also affect the feasibility of stoplights - you don't want traffic getting backed up onto the tracks. (Granted, this would be more of an issue at the Maywood Avenue intersection on the other side of the tracks, since there's less distance between the tracks and the intersection there.)

[brian440i]

Its not a mainline rail.. but is connection to the mainline.  It mostly serving industry in West Garner and Fuquay Varina.. Technically I think you can go the other way on the rail to the other main line between Cary, NC and Colombia, SC and wrap around so if the rail had to be shutdown for a day or two for this project its possible.

https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR16/LWR%20public%20hearing%20map.pdf

Maywood is the main road for those coming to Farmer's Market on Weekends from points North through Downtown.. and I make a point not to wait on the rails on Saturday but can not say that for everyone.

The Peanut will be fine for exiting Pedestrians from Fourth of July...

The greater concern is that they sync the two Lights between Left Turn for Centennial and the Left turn into the NC Farmers Market.

[jdunlop]

Regarding the roundabouts, from the tone of your messages, it would seem that you'd be fine with four signals in the 3/4 mile stretch.  But why are you so opposed to four roundabouts, that would be safer and more efficient, and in the long run less expensive than those four signals?

Not to speak for |kalvado|, but...

Even if we accept "would be safer" without questioning it (and there's a whole thread devoted to questioning it), that still doesn't necessarily mean it's worth the additional cost in this case above and beyond what those stoplights would cost to install.

I haven't seen/read the thread here about roundabout safety; I stay mostly in the Southeast group.  Where is this thread?  I'm referencing the data/experience of (single-lane) roundabouts in North Carolina over the past 28 years.  Can an isolated roundabout have a problem?  Sure.  But overall, they're going to be safer than an equivalent signal installation.  On a similar note, the roundabouts in isolation will cost more initially but over its lifetime will likely be less expensive than a signal (including installation and maintenance.)

[Stephane Dumas]

Still, from some other angles, that "peanutabout" looks like a "dogbone" roundabout. ^^;

[kphoger]

I haven't seen/read the thread here about roundabout safety; I stay mostly in the Southeast group.  Where is this thread?  I'm referencing the data/experience of (single-lane) roundabouts in North Carolina over the past 28 years.  Can an isolated roundabout have a problem?  Sure.  But overall, they're going to be safer than an equivalent signal installation.  On a similar note, the roundabouts in isolation will cost more initially but over its lifetime will likely be less expensive than a signal (including installation and maintenance.)

Buckle up!

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=15546.3175

[jdunlop]

Well, just to recap:
what wasn't mentioned is that "peanut" isn't an isolated project, but a part of a large street reconstruction coupled to massive ongoing development. That totally changes the cost scale.  I wonder if at-grade railroad crossing sees a lot of traffic, it may affect utility of entire project  big time.
As for roundabouts, they seem to be the minimum size ones, with no metering at least from one direction - in other words they will not work as advertised. Approaches - at least on preliminary plans - are higher speed ones.  Crosswalks adjacent to roundabouts are a can of worms (I know since I have to use one). Bike crossings in those locations... May those riders rest in peace.
I know synchronized traffic lights are complicated (definitely beyond NYS DOT qualifications, for example). But that may be a more reasonable option to look at IMHO.

Well, that's WRAL for you.  Leaving out actual facts in a story.  At least they're better than WTVD.  I guess they assumed their viewers would know a bit about Dix Park given the recent history regarding the City purchasing the site from the State, and its redevelopment.

Anyway, looking at the roundabout designs shown on the City's project website, I don't see any issues with the roundabout design, other than I would not have put a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the peanut roundabout.  I would have kept them at the entries, as is standard.  The size (diameter) of the roundabouts look fine, as well. 

Not exactly sure what you call "metering", I likely use the term at roundabouts differently.  There should be sufficient gaps in traffic for all of them to operate well.  (I haven't seen any traffic analysis, but trust the listed consultant to have done a proper job on the pre-construction/analysis.)

Regarding the at grade rail crossing, I don't recall that location to be an issue; low rail volume IIRC.  I recall looking at a roundabout at the Maywood intersection, before the Farmer's Market drive was built.  (It was a stop sign intersection, and there were some issues.)  I believe the queue from a roundabout would not have been long enough to be on the tracks, although that was looked at before Dix Park became a reality.

[jdunlop]

I haven't seen/read the thread here about roundabout safety; I stay mostly in the Southeast group.  Where is this thread?  I'm referencing the data/experience of (single-lane) roundabouts in North Carolina over the past 28 years.  Can an isolated roundabout have a problem?  Sure.  But overall, they're going to be safer than an equivalent signal installation.  On a similar note, the roundabouts in isolation will cost more initially but over its lifetime will likely be less expensive than a signal (including installation and maintenance.)

Buckle up!

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=15546.3175

I do believe I was directed to that thread before (probably a little after it started back in 2015.)  I'm not going to read all 138(!) pages, but a lot of comments/concerns I saw relate to multi-lane roundabouts, which do have a different crash history than single lane ones. 

In NC, the initial installation of a 2x2 roundabout in Raleigh (Hillsborough/Oberlin/Pullen) had about 120 fender benders in the first nine or so months. (Circa 2010.)  We changed the configuration to 1x1 (with some right-turn lanes) and the crash experience dropped significantly.  What we saw was the the outside lane on the main road (Hillsborough) didn't yield to the inside lane coming from Oberlin going straight to Pullen.  From this, there haven't been any other 2x2 roundabouts that have been installed in NC to my knowledge.  A good number of 2x1s, though. 

(2x2=two through lanes on both roads, 2x1=two through on the main road, one lane circulating on the side street, with some having right-turn lanes added.)