A new bridge is about to rise over the CSX tracks at Rogers Road in Wake Forest, and work could begin as soon as Nov. 30. The project is one of four grade-separation bridges NCDOT is building across Wake County as part of the long-running S-Line rail corridor, and it comes just weeks after federal officials released a fresh chunk of funding to keep the broader effort moving.
Blythe Construction of Charlotte won the contract to build the Rogers Road span and could start work by the end of the month, according to The News & Observer. NCDOT expects the bridge to be open to traffic by fall 2030, and Rogers Road itself is expected to stay open throughout construction, though drivers will likely see traffic shifted onto temporary lanes at times. The finished bridge will carry four travel lanes, a center turn lane, and sidewalks on both sides once it replaces the existing at-grade crossing.
Those sidewalks will measure 5.5 feet wide with 4-foot buffers on each side, according to Discover Wake Forest, which describes the Rogers Road crossing as the first upgrade supporting the broader S-Line Rail initiative. Rogers Road isn't the only crossing getting this treatment — NCDOT is also building grade-separation bridges at Durant, East Millbrook, and New Hope Church roads in Raleigh, lifting roads up and over the rail line rather than leaving cars and trains to cross paths at grade.
Federal Money Flows, But Only Half So Far
The timing lines up with a significant funding milestone. In October, the Federal Railroad Administration released $550 million for the S-Line project — but as the News & Observer's reporting notes, that figure represents only half of the money that was pledged back in 2023, with the remaining funds expected to arrive as construction progresses.
Work at the Durant Road crossing in North Raleigh is further along than the other sites. According to NCDOT, that project began in 2024 as similar bridge work aimed at separating roads and rail traffic. A separate report from CBS 17 describes that phase as raising the roadway above the rail line to cut down on traffic delays and improve safety by keeping trains and cars apart.
Looking Ahead to a Possible Amtrak Extension
Beyond the bridge work, NCDOT has set its sights on a longer-term goal: extending Amtrak's Piedmont service to Wake Forest by 2032. That timeline would follow the pace of the grade-separation work already underway at Rogers Road and the other three Wake County crossings, though the evidence available does not confirm whether a Wake Forest station or mobility hub would be finished in time to match that goal.
For now, the most concrete milestone remains the Rogers Road bridge itself — a project NCDOT and local officials have cast as the first visible piece of a much larger rail investment taking shape across Wake County, with Blythe Construction's crews potentially breaking ground within weeks.
