— Tolls on N.C. Highway 540, also known as the Triangle Expressway, will go up on Wednesday, officials said.

For NC Quick Pass customers traveling the 17.4 miles between N.C. Highway 147 at Interstate 40 in Durham and the N.C. Highway 55 Bypass in Apex, the cost will increase 11 cents, to $3.48. For bill-by-mail customers, the cost will go up 16 cents, to $5.33.

Toll revenue pays off bonds sold to fund the construction of the highway, as well as fund road maintenance, including repairs, law enforcement, mowing and winter weather preparation and response, officials said. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority Board adopted a schedule of annual toll rate increases for the Triangle Expressway based on the project's financing requirements, officials said.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the southeastern part of N.C. 540 after years of delays prompted by environmental concerns.

The state Department of Transportation reached a settlement in August with several environmental groups to clear the way for the highway, known as the Triangle Expressway Southeast Extension.

The state has already awarded three contracts to build the six-lane highway from the N.C. Highway 55 Bypass in Apex to Pierce Olive Road, near Holly Springs, from there to east of U.S. Highway 401 and from there to Interstate 40.

The project is expected to open to traffic in 2023, officials said.