Six Forks Road is a major roadway that travels through North Raleigh. It is considered the main thoroughfare through the North Hills shopping center and Midtown Raleigh.
Route Description
Six Forks Road begins at Atlantic Avenue as a five-lane road and travels west through a commercial area. After an intersection with Wake Forest Road, Six Forks begins traveling through a largely residential area, then takes a curve to the northwest at Anderson Drive. At the I-440 interchange, Six Forks Road becomes much more prominently traveled as it passes through the North Hills shopping center, which consists of restaurants, retail, office buildings, and apartment complexes. Commercial development dominates much of Six Forks' landscape between I-440 and I-540, frequently interrupted by residential and office development. North of the I-540 interchange, Six Forks Road narrows to two lanes and travels north through a residential area. Later, at Possum Track Road, Six Forks makes an abrupt left turn and loops around Falls Lake, ending at NC 98.
Namesake
The name Six Forks comes from not kitchen utensils, but rather, an area in northern Wake County at which six roads converged approximately half a mile south of the present day I-540 interchange. While the modern intersection consists of only Six Forks and Strickland Roads, historically, two more roadways met here, Baileywick and Lead Mine Roads.
Future Plans
Six Forks Road Widening
In response to the rapid growth and development of the Midtown Raleigh area, the city has proposed a project that will widen a portion of Six Forks Road to a six-lane median-divided boulevard north of North Hills. The project was originally to extend from Rowan Street to Lynn Road and include separated bike paths and sidewalks as well as protected intersections. However, due to rising right-of-way costs, the project was truncated to Milbrook Road and replaced the separated bike and pedestrian facilities to multi-use paths. With an estimated cost of $56.1 million, the project is scheduled to begin construction in 2026.
Proposed Extension
As part of a master plan to improve the visual appearance and traffic flow of the current industrial area situated north of Downtown Raleigh, Six Forks Road is proposed to be extended as a four-lane median divided road from Atlantic Avenue to Capital Boulevard. This extention is being considered as part of a bus rapid transit corridor extending from Downtown Raleigh north to either North Hills or Triangle Town Center.