Goodbye, orange-cone road.

If you were cruising on our local highways this weekend, you may have noticed a new and welcome lack of traffic cones. That’s because the Eastern Loop of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway opened to drivers on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Following 12 years of construction, this portion of I-74 will connect I-40, US 421, US 158, and US 52.

Traffic congestion has been an issue on these roads, as the state estimates this area sees more than 100,000 vehicles daily.

In particular, it will alleviate congestion on busy interchanges like that of I-40 or US 421 and US 52, said NCDOT Resident Engineer Larry Shaver. For example, drivers on I-40 West needing to go north or south can choose to continue into downtown Winston-Salem on the interstate or on Salem Parkway and get on US 52, or they can now take I-74 up to Mr. Airy or down to High Point and beyond. This could save them between 10 to 15 minutes.

The Northern Beltway will help improve safety along heavily traveled routes in Forsyth County. | Photo by NC Department of Transportation

The Northern Beltway is the biggest project in the Triad in NCDOT's history, according to Shaver. And, the Eastern Loop was completed ahead of schedule — it was originally scheduled to open at the start of November.

Final section of the Eastern Loop by the numbers:

12 million pounds of steel in the overpasses
3.2 million cubic yards of dirt moved
500,000 man-hours completed
400-500 workers on the project
12 new bridge structures created
2 culverts made
1 sound barrier wall constructed

The Northern Beltway will help connect multiple heavily trafficked roads and highways. | Photo by WStoday.

Six decades in the making, no final completion date has been set

When it’s finished, the Northern Beltway will span 34.5 miles from US 158 on Winston-Salem’s southwest side to I-74 on the southeast side. It is estimated to cost a total of $1.74 billion.

The Beltway was originally conceived in 1965 as part of Forsyth County’s transportation plan in the mid-1960s.

It really took off with the 1989 Highway Trust Fund Act, and construction was slated to begin in 1999. But delays pushed the project back to 2014, and it got delayed again in 2020. Construction on the Eastern Loop officially began in 2022 .

So far, four sections of the project's Western Loop have been completed — parts CC, CD, EB, and EC. More construction on the Western Loop is slated to begin in 2030, but because it is not fully funded yet, there is no final estimate for when the entire Beltway will be open.

WStoday: Winston-Salem Northern Beltway map of highway construction — Project AA and AB are currently under construction, projects B, C, D, E, and F are completed. | Photo courtesy of NCDOT