Mebane interchange work advances as Buc-ee’s project nears I-40 exit

Drivers using Trollingwood-Hawfields Road and the I-40/I-85 interchange in Mebane are moving through a corridor that is being rebuilt to handle more traffic from Buc-ee’s and the industrial growth around N.C. Commerce Park. For now, that means construction around the ramps and bridge; by fall 2027, it is supposed to mean easier access, fewer conflict points and a stronger connection to the west side of Alamance County.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says the project is designed to reduce congestion and improve mobility and safety at the interchange, one of the key access points for businesses and travelers near Mebane. NCDOT’s plan calls for a diverging diamond interchange built east of the existing bridge, a design that eliminates left turns against oncoming traffic and can improve both safety and efficiency. The total cost is nearly $50 million.

NCDOT advertised the project under its Construction Manager/General Contractor delivery method in July and August 2024 and awarded it on March 12, 2025. The work had already been on the department’s books for years: traffic forecast documents from 2021 said STIP I-6059 was still only in planning and environmental study, with no proposed construction date at the time.

The stakes rose sharply when Buc-ee’s committed to building North Carolina’s first travel center at 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road. On June 19, 2026, NCDOT said Buc-ee’s is contributing to the adjacent interchange upgrade as a required development improvement, including additional lanes in a diverging diamond pattern. The site is described as a 74-acre facility expected to include 120 gas pumps and 24 electric vehicle charging stations.

Road work on the exit and entrance ramps was already underway by June 2025, when crews were rebuilding the interchange, widening the bridge over the interstate and adding more turn lanes to the eastbound and westbound ramps. Buc-ee’s representatives have estimated the Mebane project at $91 million and 831 new jobs, numbers that show why the interchange matters far beyond a single exit.

The corridor had been under pressure before Buc-ee’s arrived. A 2025 report said NCDOT data showed roughly 10,000 trips a day on Trollingwood-Hawfields Road in 2019, as warehouses and distribution sites tied to Walmart, Amazon, UPS and Lidl expanded across the N.C. Commerce Park area. Mebane’s population has also grown quickly, with much of the recent development shifting east and south while the western edge near I-40 and I-85 absorbs more regional traffic.

The Buc-ee’s plan drew strong public attention. At the Mebane City Council hearing, 217 people attended and 60 spoke before the council voted 5-0 to approve the special use permit. Earlier, the council approved the rezoning and permit in January 2024 after an eight-hour meeting. What happens next on Trollingwood-Hawfields Road will shape how smoothly Mebane handles shoppers, commuters and interstate traffic long before the new interchange fully opens.