Six Forks Rd.

Route:

Begins at Atlantic Ave. just inside the Beltline.
Runs all the way to NC 98 past Falls Lake.
5 lanes from Atlantic to I-540, then 2 lanes from 540 to NC 98.

Attractions:

North Hills Mall, at the Beltline, is Raleigh's oldest mall. (It is also Raleigh's least desirable business location, mall-wise.)
Crossroads of Six Forks (at Strickland Rd.) and Bayleaf (at Possum Track Rd.).
And, of course, my mom works on Six Forks.

Major Intersections:
(south to north)

Wake Forest Rd., I-440 (exit 8A-B), Millbrook Rd., Lynn Rd., Strickland Rd., I-540 (exit 11 - also Raleigh's first SPUI), Durant Rd., Norwood Rd., and NC 98.

Notes:

Yes, before you ask, there are both a Six Spoons Rd. and a Six Knives Rd. Both are off of Ramblewood Dr, near the Beltline. However, Six Forks was first. As you might guess, it was named after the crossroads of Six Forks, which was an intersection with (surprise!) six forks of the road. FYI, these forks were Six Forks N and S, Strickland E and W, Baileywick Rd., and Lead Mine Rd. (which used to run through what is now Six Forks Station shopping center, and has since been renamed Old Lead Mine with the opening of "New" Lead Mine in 1987).

Six Forks has been widened a few times; the first, from North Hills Mall north to Lynn Rd. took place in the early 70s. (This was originally a 4-lane widening; around 1983 a center turn lane was added using the Wake Forest method of widening, which is to create the lane by shrinking the others. Quite dangerous.) Six Forks north of Lynn was 2 lanes until 1990, when it was widened north to Sawmill Rd. In 1992 5-laning was completed between Sawmill and Strickland, and it was extended north to I-540 when the freeway was opened in June 2001.

Originally, Six Forks ended at a dead end 1/2 mile east of Wake Forest. In 1997, to complete a gaping hole in the Raleigh road network (no good way from Wake Forest to Atlantic), a railroad overpass was built, and Six Forks was extended east to Atlantic. Eventually plans call for Six Forks to extend to Capital Blvd., but I don't even think this is on planning maps yet.

At Bayleaf, Six Forks (going north) makes a quick left turn that's pretty easy to miss. Why does it do this? Well, before Falls Lake was created in 1983, Six Forks ran straight ahead. Today, the two loose ends of Six Forks are simply dead-ends, and Six Forks runs along a new alignment north to NC 98.

Route:	Begins at Atlantic Ave. just inside the Beltline. Runs all the way to NC 98 past Falls Lake. 5 lanes from Atlantic to I-540, then 2 lanes from 540 to NC 98.
Attractions:	North Hills Mall, at the Beltline, is Raleigh's oldest mall. (It is also Raleigh's least desirable business location, mall-wise.) Crossroads of Six Forks (at Strickland Rd.) and Bayleaf (at Possum Track Rd.). And, of course, my mom works on Six Forks.
Major Intersections: (south to north)	Wake Forest Rd., I-440 (exit 8A-B), Millbrook Rd., Lynn Rd., Strickland Rd., I-540 (exit 11 - also Raleigh's first SPUI), Durant Rd., Norwood Rd., and NC 98.
Notes:	Yes, before you ask, there are both a Six Spoons Rd. and a Six Knives Rd. Both are off of Ramblewood Dr, near the Beltline. However, Six Forks was first. As you might guess, it was named after the crossroads of Six Forks, which was an intersection with (surprise!) six forks of the road. FYI, these forks were Six Forks N and S, Strickland E and W, Baileywick Rd., and Lead Mine Rd. (which used to run through what is now Six Forks Station shopping center, and has since been renamed Old Lead Mine with the opening of "New" Lead Mine in 1987). Six Forks has been widened a few times; the first, from North Hills Mall north to Lynn Rd. took place in the early 70s. (This was originally a 4-lane widening; around 1983 a center turn lane was added using the Wake Forest method of widening, which is to create the lane by shrinking the others. Quite dangerous.) Six Forks north of Lynn was 2 lanes until 1990, when it was widened north to Sawmill Rd. In 1992 5-laning was completed between Sawmill and Strickland, and it was extended north to I-540 when the freeway was opened in June 2001. Originally, Six Forks ended at a dead end 1/2 mile east of Wake Forest. In 1997, to complete a gaping hole in the Raleigh road network (no good way from Wake Forest to Atlantic), a railroad overpass was built, and Six Forks was extended east to Atlantic. Eventually plans call for Six Forks to extend to Capital Blvd., but I don't even think this is on planning maps yet. At Bayleaf, Six Forks (going north) makes a quick left turn that's pretty easy to miss. Why does it do this? Well, before Falls Lake was created in 1983, Six Forks ran straight ahead. Today, the two loose ends of Six Forks are simply dead-ends, and Six Forks runs along a new alignment north to NC 98.

Route:

Begins at Atlantic Ave. just inside the Beltline. Runs all the way to NC 98 past Falls Lake. 5 lanes from Atlantic to I-540, then 2 lanes from 540 to NC 98.

Attractions:

North Hills Mall, at the Beltline, is Raleigh's oldest mall. (It is also Raleigh's least desirable business location, mall-wise.) Crossroads of Six Forks (at Strickland Rd.) and Bayleaf (at Possum Track Rd.). And, of course, my mom works on Six Forks.

Major Intersections: (south to north)

Wake Forest Rd., I-440 (exit 8A-B), Millbrook Rd., Lynn Rd., Strickland Rd., I-540 (exit 11 - also Raleigh's first SPUI), Durant Rd., Norwood Rd., and NC 98.

Notes:

Return to: NWC Roads | WCR

Begins at Atlantic Ave. just inside the Beltline.
Runs all the way to NC 98 past Falls Lake.
5 lanes from Atlantic to I-540, then 2 lanes from 540 to NC 98.

North Hills Mall, at the Beltline, is Raleigh's oldest mall. (It is also Raleigh's least desirable business location, mall-wise.)
Crossroads of Six Forks (at Strickland Rd.) and Bayleaf (at Possum Track Rd.).
And, of course, my mom works on Six Forks.

Major Intersections:
(south to north)