Greensboro Urban Loop - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Greensboro Urban Loop (also known as Painter Boulevard) is a planned 41-mile (66 km) beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The loop carries Interstate 85

Interstate 85

Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...

and U.S. Route 421

U.S. Route 421

U.S. Route 421 is a spur route of U.S. 21. It runs for from Michigan City, Indiana, at U.S. 20, to Fort Fisher in North Carolina. The highway goes through the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, Lexington, Kentucky, Boone, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina and...

on its southern section, and Interstate 73

Interstate 73

Interstate 73 is a main route of the Interstate Highway System, currently located entirely within the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various Federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Grayling, Michigan, but only the part south of...

from U.S. 220

U.S. Route 220

U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...

to Bryan Boulevard

Bryan Boulevard (Greensboro)

Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard is a limited-access corridor connecting North Carolina Highway 68 with Benjamin Parkway in Greensboro, North Carolina. Segments of this road may be used as the Future Interstate 73 corridor. The 4-lane highway serves as the main entrance for Piedmont Triad International...

along the west side of Greensboro. In the future, it will carry Interstate 785

Interstate 785

In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 785 is the designation for a future spur interstate route. When completed, it will connect Greensboro to Danville, Virginia.-Route description:...

from I-40/I-85 east of downtown to U.S. 29

U.S. Route 29

U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...

.

The parts of Urban Loop that are currently open are:

the southern half (signed as Interstate 73 an US 421 on the southwest section, and Interstate 85 and US 421 on the southeast section);
a portion of Future I-840 that runs 2 miles (3 km) from I-40/I-85 east of downtown to U.S. 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...

;
a 3 miles (4.8 km) section of I-840 (co-signed with I-73
Interstate 73
Interstate 73 is a main route of the Interstate Highway System, currently located entirely within the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various Federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Grayling, Michigan, but only the part south of...

) on the west, between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard
Bryan Boulevard (Greensboro)
Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard is a limited-access corridor connecting North Carolina Highway 68 with Benjamin Parkway in Greensboro, North Carolina. Segments of this road may be used as the Future Interstate 73 corridor. The 4-lane highway serves as the main entrance for Piedmont Triad International...

, which will provide better access to the Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad Region in North Carolina. The airport has 3 runways; the third opened January 27, 2010 for traffic. The airport is located just off...

. This section is signed with a FUTURE plate above the shield, as it does not yet connect to any major roads.

Construction is completed on the southwest part of the beltway, which opened February 21, 2008. The next section to be constructed is between Bryan Boulevard and U.S. 220, to begin in 2013. In 2011, land and right-of-way property will be bought for the segment between U.S. 220 and Lawndale Avenue, as well as the segment between U.S. 70 and U.S. 29. Work on the remaining section, between Bryan Boulevard and U.S. 29, is currently not scheduled to begin until at least 2014.

This is one of five freeway corridors in the Greensboro area to include the word "Boulevard" in its name. What is now Business I-85

Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina)

In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 85 Business is a business loop of Interstate 85; which serves several cities in the Piedmont Triad.-Route description:...

is also known as Preddy Boulevard, what was once Business I-40

Interstate 40 Business (North Carolina)

In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 40 Business is a business loop of Interstate 40; which serves the cities of Winston-Salem and Kernersville.-Route description:...

west of downtown (and is again I-40) is also known as Fordham Boulevard, and part of I-73 is planned to follow Bryan Boulevard

Bryan Boulevard (Greensboro)

. O. Henry Boulevard carries U.S. 29 east of downtown Greensboro.

In April 2005, the city of Greensboro voted to approve annexation

Annexation

Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...

of the Urban Loop into the city of Greensboro. The annexation took effect in June of that year.http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Departments/Planning/annexation/archive.htm http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/B0B43ADB-2342-4743-B253-AABE557A6058/0/PB21605ELeeDOT.pdf

A small portion of Interstate 73 is completed and signed along the Urban Loop, and there is a wrong-way concurrency with Interstate 85 for approximately one mile. It should be noted however: as a result of the freeway's unusual design, I-85 and I-73 do not share the same roadbed. A traveler following I-73 through the intersection will not at any point be on mainline I-85, despite signage that indicates otherwise to minimize confusion.

I-40 Relocation

On September 12, 2008, after complaints by local residents and motorists on the confusion between Interstate 40, and Business Interstate 40 through Greensboro, NCDOT officials received permission from the FHWA to reroute Interstate 40 back through the city of Greensboro and decommission Business Interstate 40. This placed Interstate 40 on its original route while leaving I-73 and I-85 signed along the Greensboro Urban Loop. By the end of Fall 2008 Business Interstate 40 signs through Greensboro were to be replaced back with Interstate 40 signs, and US 421 was to be rerouted to replace most of the I-40 route along the Loop.

As of April 2009, few changes to note the re-designation have been made. At the I-40/85 interchange east of Greensboro, I-40 is signed as going through Greensboro, while all other signs along the Urban Loop show I-40 on the loop, including at the southern I-85/73 interchange and the western I-40/73/840 interchange. Overhead signs through Greensboro were never changed to reflect Business 40 and still show I-40, while Business 40 shields are still placed along Business 85. Between Business 85 and I-73, reassurance markers were never changed to Business 40 shields, but directional signs at interchanges were, and still reflect Business 40. Mile markers and exit numbers (with the exception of overhead signs) were briefly changed between Business 85 and I-73, but have been reverted, while mile markers and exit numbers along the Urban Loop have not changed since its original opening. As of August 2009, crucial signage has US 421 signed along the Loop, though many signs still show US 421 going through Greensboro.

Exit list

This exit list covers the entire Greensboro Urban Loop that is constructed so far.

Interstate 840

Interstate 840 (abbreviated I-840) is a planned 21-mile (34 km) east–west auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

, forming the northern half of a beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro, North Carolina

.

The only parts of I-840 that are currently open are a segment running 2 miles (3 km) from I-85 east of downtown north (signed west) to U.S. 70

U.S. Route 70

U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...

and a 3-mile (5 km) stretch on the west side between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard

Bryan Boulevard (Greensboro)

which was opened on 18 December 2007. This section provides better access to the PTI airport.http://www.digtriad.com/news/local_state/article.aspx?storyid=94695&catid=57
Both are signed as Future Interstate 840 (the western section is also signed as Future Interstate 73

Interstate 73

) with a FUTURE plate above the shield, due to neither section connecting to any significant roadways. The next section to be constructed is from Bryan Blvd to Battleground Ave (US 220) starting in 2011 and then extended to Lawndale Dr shortly thereafter.
The rest of I-840 is not set to be finished until at least 2015.

When Interstate 785

Interstate 785

In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 785 is the designation for a future spur interstate route. When completed, it will connect Greensboro to Danville, Virginia.-Route description:...

is completed it will use the portion of I-840 from US 29 south to reach I-85. It will be the second occurrence in the nation of two three-digit interstates running concurrently, the other being Interstates 271

Interstate 271

Interstate 271 is an auxiliary interstate highway in the suburbs of Cleveland and Akron in the U.S. state of Ohio. The highway is officially designated the "Cleveland Outerbelt East", but rarely referred to by that name.-Route description:...

and 480

Interstate 480 (Ohio)

Interstate 480 is a loop highway that connects the Ohio Turnpike with suburban Cleveland, Ohio. The highway is officially designated the Outerbelt South Freeway, but it is rarely referred to by that name....

near Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

External links

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I-40 Relocation

Exit list

Interstate 840

See also

External links