A new section of the Greensboro Urban Loop is now open. It will provide some much needed relief for local neighborhoods and businesses.
Just before Christmas, the northern section of the loop from Lawndale Drive to North Elm Street officially welcomed traffic. It was a lot of work to make the December 23 opening happen, including challenges with weather during the construction.
It was also a massive earth moving operation, which involved 6 million cubic yards of dirt. There's a new bridge at Lake Jeanette Road, six driving lanes and interchanges.
Patty Eason, a construction engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation, says the project is important to both local residents and businesses.
“Every time we can make that route easier for those manufacturers, those industries to move their goods around, we are stimulating our economy by more jobs and it is a symbol that this area is growing,” she says.
The 44-mile long beltway is part of NCDOT's plan to improve traffic flow within and around the city. It will allow travelers to bypass Greensboro and improve congestion on I-40 and other major roadways.
The urban loop is expected to be fully complete in the fall of 2022.
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