State highway officials have announced new plans for a major Forsyth County highway project. The Western Leg of the Northern Beltway has been a source of legal battles while homeowners await its construction.
Construction on the beltway was scheduled to begin more than a decade ago, but residents in western Forsyth fought against it on environmental grounds. By the time those concerns were addressed, the state announced it simply didn't have the money to build the long-awaited road.
Over the years, the priority shifted to the eastern leg of the beltway to spur economic development and reduce congestion on U.S. 52. That construction is already underway.
A group of homeowners left in limbo sued the state, saying the plans hurt their property values and limited what they could do with their land.
Late last week, the state released its plans for major road projects across the state. Construction on one part of the western leg has been moved up three years, with a start time now set for 2021.
That segment runs from U.S. 52 to Reynolda Road. Eventually the western leg is designed to connect to Interstate 40 near Clemmons. But getting to that final part will take about another ten years.
The state also plans to add lanes to widen Interstate 40 and Business 40 in eastern Forsyth County. The Interstate 40 project would begin at the U.S. 311/I-74 exchange and go to Sandy Ridge Road in Guilford County. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The following year, work would begin on widening Business 40 from the eastern leg of the byway to where it joins Interstate 40.