NCDOT sets opening date for storm-damaged Olive Chapel Road in Apex. It isn’t soon.
A busy Apex road closed since flooding rains fell on western Wake County last month is not expected to reopen until late January, the N.C. Department of Transportation announced.
Olive Chapel Road has been closed since Aug. 6 when Beaver Creek overwhelmed two metal pipes under the pavement, causing one of them to collapse.
The failed pipe was several decades old and damaged beyond repair, according to NCDOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale. Rather than a temporary fix, NCDOT plans to replace the pipes with a larger box culvert that will allow more water to pass under the road.
The August storm dropped several inches of rain on western Wake County in a few hours, with one spot upstream of Olive Chapel Road receiving more than 9 inches.
Crews are working now to move utility lines near the crossing. NCDOT is talking with property owners to acquire the needed right-of-way and expects to award a construction contract in late October.
The sidewalk along the south side of Olive Chapel Road will also remain closed until late January. At first, it appeared the sidewalk had survived undamaged, but NCDOT engineers determined it was unstable and had it removed, Barksdale said.
The stretch of Olive Chapel Road between Kelly Road and Apex Peakway handles more than 10,000 cars a day, according to NCDOT. While the road is closed, drivers will be directed on a detour that uses the Apex Peakway, N.C. 55, U.S. 64 and Kelly Road.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 2:42 PM.
