A road project nearly two decades in the making has finally opened in Greensboro. The new Ralph C. Johnson Way now links White Street to East Cone Boulevard.
Proposals for a connector began prior to 2000, when the community wanted an alternate route to the busy White Street Landfill.
But when the landfill was closed to municipal trash, the project was put on hold.
Greensboro Director of Transportation, Adam Fischer, says residents in the northeast part of town made it known that the road was still important. They wanted easier access to the stores and restaurants along Cone Boulevard.
“Nealtown ended at White Street, Cone Boulevard ended at Sixteenth Street," he says. "It was always on our long-range transportation plans to make these connections, and the neighborhood let us know that yes, it's still needed in our community.”
Construction on the $15.5 million project finally began two and a half years ago. The connector will be known as Ralph C. Johnson Way, named for the late North Carolina representative and community activist.