The morning commute into Research Triangle Park is going to get a lot more complicated for some folks.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is a week away from making some major changes at the intersection of NC 54 and Church Street near Morrisville.

The area is technically in Durham, but sits just a few hundred feet from Morrisville's town limits.

Delores Scott has lived on Church Street her entire life, and remembers when it was the far from a major thoroughfare.

"That was a regular dirt road," said Scott. "Sometimes progress affects people in a different way, and it's not affecting us the very best way."

The intersection is just up the road from Scott's house, and it has turned into a major feeding line into RTP.

"It is set up for a bad situation there," said DOT Division Engineer Wally Bowman.

Accidents are common, and he said he is worried that the daily congestion could lead to a car getting hit by a train, so next week, the DOT is changing it so cars can go straight or make right turns only.

"We're trying to fix a safety problem before a bad thing really happens there," said Bowman.

The biggest impact on the morning commute is that drivers won't be able to turn left there to head towards RTP like they used to.

"It's gonna suck," said Morrisville Transportation Planner Michele Hane, with a laugh.

Morrisville officials are already worried about what the changes will do to other roads feeding onto 54.

"I think McCrimmon will take the brunt of the diverted traffic," said Hane.

Most cars will have to head towards Morrisville and cut over on McCrimmon Parkway, or find another route all together.

"It certainly won't make it any better for us," said Scott.

DOT officials say they wanted to close access from Church Street entirely; they're keeping it partially open because of all the complaints, but say it is simply too dangerous to keep things the way they are.

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