Greensboro Urban Loop

Greensboro Urban Loop
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap Completed section highlighted in red Section under construction highlighted in dark blue
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length	43.1 mi[1] (69.4 km)
Existed	2002–present
Component highways	I-73 I-85 I-785 I-840 US 421
Major junctions
Beltway around Greensboro
From	US 29 near Browns Summit
	US 70 near McLeansville I-40 / I-85 near Sedalia US 421 near Pleasant Garden I-73 / US 220 near Pleasant Garden I-85 / US 29 / US 70 near Jamestown I-40 / US 421 near Colfax I-73 near Oak Ridge US 220 in Greensboro
To	Elm Street in Greensboro
Location
Counties	Guilford
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic

The Greensboro Urban Loop is a partially completed 43.1-mile (69.4 km) beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 73 (I-73), I-85, I-785, I-840, and U.S. Route 421 (US 421). It is primarily located within Greensboro city limits, though it crisscrosses the city line many times. The right-of-way of the Urban Loop and its interchanges between Elm-Eugene Street and Huffine Mill Road was annexed by the city of Greensboro in 2005. As of December 2020, 35.7 miles (57.5 km) of the loop is open, with 3.86 miles (6.21 km) under construction between North Elm Street and US 29.

Route description[]

The current terminus of the route is an interchange with US 29, from which the Urban Loop heads southeast as I-785/Future I-840. Turning south at an interchange with Huffine Mill Road, the road intersects US 70 shortly after. 2.2 miles (3.5 km) later, the Urban Loop comes to an interchange with I-40, I-85, and Business 85, at which point I-785 and Future I-840 both end and I-85 enters the Urban Loop as it heads southwest.

The road winds its way southwest as I-85, intersecting Youngs Mill Road and Alamance Church Road before joining with US 421 and turning west. After meeting Elm-Eugene Street, the Urban Loop comes to an interchange complex with I-73/US 220 and Business 85/US 29/US 70. Here, I-73 joins the Urban Loop from the south as I-85 leaves it to the southwest. The two interstates officially share a wrong-way concurrency for approximately 1 mile (1.6 km), though the collector-distributor roads of the interchanges cause the two routes to not share the same roadbed in either direction.

Winding its way northwest, the Urban Loop intersects Gate City Boulevard with a diverging diamond interchange and Wendover Avenue with a partial cloverleaf interchange before reaching another interchange with I-40. US 421 leaves the Urban Loop as I-840 begins, and the road continues due north as I-73/I-840. After a single-point urban interchange with Friendly Avenue, the road curves north-northeast before coming to an interchange with Bryan Boulevard. Here, I-73 leaves the Urban Loop to the west, and the road continues as I-840, running northeast and east for 6.82 miles (10.98 km). The loop intersects US 220 and Lawndale Drive with a pair of single-point urban interchanges before terminating at North Elm Street.

A 3.86-mile (6.21 km) section currently under construction runs between North Elm Street and US 29, intersecting Yanceyville Street.^[2]

History[]

Early development[]

A June 1948 document from the city Planning & Zoning Commission described the loop as part of "a comprehensive thoroughfare system for Greensboro." At one time, the road was a parkway similar to Wendover Avenue and named Painter Boulevard, but the city did not have enough money to build it, and federal help would require a road like an Interstate Highway.^[3] It was named for Pennell Churchman Painter, the first city manager of Greensboro, serving from 1921 to 1929.^[4]

Painter Boulevard appeared as a freeway loop in the 1967 City of Greensboro Transportation Plan. In June 1977, a thoroughfare plan (including what would become the Urban Loop) was adopted by the City of Greensboro, Guilford County and the North Carolina Board of Transportation. In July 1989, North Carolina Highway Trust Fund Law was enacted, which provides a trust fund for designated urban loops. By November 1989, an updated thoroughfare plan was approved by the city, county and state. Planning and environmental impact studies of the Urban Loop began in 1989-1990. In 1995, a Record of Decision was made approving the Greensboro Urban Loop; finalizing its routing and approval of an I-85 bypass. By this point, the Painter Boulevard name was no longer used.

Initial construction[]

In 2002, the first segment of the urban loop opened, a 2.21-mile (3.56 km) four-lane connector, today a part of I-785/Future I-840, between I-40/I-85 and US 70; it was unsigned and internally designated SR 3269. By 2006, Future I-840 trailblazers were added, though from I-40/I-85 it was only signed "To US 70." On February 21, 2004, the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) southeast segment of the urban loop opened. On completion, I-85 was rerouted onto it, leaving its old alignment through Greensboro as Business 85.^[5] The southwest section between the present day I-73/US 220 interchange and the I-73/Bryan Boulevard interchanges opened in March 2008. I-73 was signed south of I-40, though north of I-40, I-73 and I-840 were unsigned. At the time, signs for each direction simply read "To I-40" and "To Bryan Boulevard."

Interstate 40 relocation[]

The Urban Loop and its designations since January 2004 up to October 2008.

Upon completion of the southwest section, I-40 was rerouted onto the southern portion of the loop, sharing the route with I-73 to the west and I-85 to the east. The existing I-40 through Greensboro was redesignated Interstate 40 Business (Business 40). On September 12, 2008, after complaints by local residents about traffic noise and motorists on the confusion between I-40 and Business 40 through Greensboro, NCDOT officials received permission from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to reroute I-40 back through the city of Greensboro and decommission Business 40. This left I-40 on its original route, while US 421 was rerouted onto the Urban Loop where it remains today.

Later construction[]

On July 31, 2013, NCDOT got approval from the FHWA to co-sign the eastern section of the Urban Loop (Future I-840) with I-785, establishing the new route in North Carolina,^[6] though I-785 would not be signed until the completion of the segment of the loop between US 29 and US 70.

The next section to go to construction was part of the northwest section between I-73/Bryan Boulevard and US 220 (Battleground Avenue) in October 2013.^[7] Next was the northeast section from US 29 to US 70 in 2014.^[8] In October 2017, ahead of the completion of the northwest section and as a new section of I-73 opened,^[9] both I-73 and I-840 were signed on the portion of the Urban Loop between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard, marking the first time I-840 was signed as a proper route.

The northeast section was completed in December 2017,^[8] signed solely as I-785, at which point the designation was also signed on the eastern section of the loop between US 70 and I-40/I-85. The northwest section opened in March 2018, extending I-840 to US 220.^[7] The next section, between US 220 and Lawndale Drive, opened on December 30, 2019.^[10][11] The segment between Lawndale Drive and North Elm Street opened on December 21, 2020.^[12]

Future[]

The last section of the Greensboro Urban Loop under construction is the 3.86-mile (6.21 km) segment between North Elm Street and US 29, featuring an interchange with Yanceyville Street.^[2] Construction began in May 2018^[13] and will be opened in two sections. This remaining segment is expected to open in 2021 or 2022.^[10][11] Upon completion of this last segment, I-840 will be posted along its entire length, including the concurrency with I-785.

After the Greensboro Urban Loop is completed, NCDOT and Greensboro DOT plan to add two additional interchanges: Fleming–Lewiston Road (SR 2136), and Cone Boulevard (SR 2565). Plans for these additional interchanges have existed since 2004; however, because they are to be constructed after the loop's completion, there is no current time table or funding for these projects at this time.^[14][15][16]

Exit list[]

Exit numbers reflect mileage along the following interstates, clockwise from western side of Greensboro:

• From I-40 west of Greensboro to Bryan Boulevard: I-73 exits 103–107
• From Bryan Boulevard to I-40 east of Greensboro: I-840 exits 3–21
• From I-40 east of Greensboro to I-85/I-73 interchange south of Greensboro: I-85 exits 129–122
• From I-85/I-73 interchange south of Greensboro to I-40 west of Greensboro: I-73 exits 95–103

Sections of US 421 and I-785 also follow portions the loop, but their mileage is not posted. Additionally, I-73 (outer lanes, miles 95–97) and I-85 (inner lanes, miles 120–122) run in parallel (but not concurrently) along a two-mile segment south of Greensboro.

Mileage below reflects miles from the interchange with I-40 west of Greensboro and continues clockwise around the loop. Other than along the segment of I-840 from Bryan Boulevard to the I-40 interchange east of Greensboro, this mileage is not posted; local mileposts reflect the mileage of the main interstate along that segment.

The entire route is in Guilford County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Greensboro	0.0	0.0	103 A–B	A: I-40 east – Greensboro B: I-40 west / US 421 north – Winston-Salem I-840 begins	Western terminus of I-840 and northern terminus of US 421 overlap; left exit from inner loop
	1.6	2.6	104	West Friendly Avenue	Single-point urban interchange
​	3.6	5.8	107 3	A: Bryan Boulevard – Downtown B: I-73 north – PTI–GSO Airport, Martinsville	Northern terminus of I-73 overlap; inner loop exit signed as I-73 exits 107 A–B; outer loop exit signed as I-840 exits 3B-A
Greensboro	6.7	10.8	6	US 220 (Battleground Avenue)	Single-point urban interchange
	8.4	13.5	8	Lawndale Drive	Single-point urban interchange
	10.4	16.7	10	North Elm Street I-840 ends	Temporary terminus of Greensboro Urban Loop
	11.8	19.0	11	Yanceyville Street	Future interchange[14]
​	14.3	23.0	14A–B	A:  US 29 south – Greensboro B:  US 29 north – Danville I-785 / Future I-840 begin	Temporary terminus of Greensboro Urban Loop; current northern terminus of I-785 and western terminus of hidden I-840 overlap
	17.8	28.6	17	Huffine Mill Road
Greensboro	18.9	30.4	18	US 70 (Burlington Road) / To Wendover Avenue
	21.1	34.0	21	I-40 / I-85 north – Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh I-785 / Future I-840 end	North end of I-85 overlap, south end of I-785 and east end of hidden I-840
	23.1	37.2	129	Youngs Mill Road
	25.2	40.6	128	Alamance Church Road
	27.3	43.9	126 A–B	A: US 421 south – Sanford B: Old US 421 – Greensboro	South end of US 421 overlap
	29.6	47.6	124	South Elm–Eugene Street
​	31.6	50.9	122 A–C	A: To Groometown Road / To Grandover Parkway B / 95: I-73 south / US 220 south – Asheboro C: US 220 north – Greensboro, Coliseum Area	Southern terminus of I-73 concurrency; signed as exit 122 from inner loop and exit 95 from outer loop; no access from US 220 southbound to inner loop nor from outer loop to US 220 northbound; exit 122A only accessible from inner loop
	32.9	52.9	97 A–C	A: US 29 north / US 70 north – Greensboro B: I-85 south / US 29 south / US 70 south – High Point, Charlotte C: To Groometown Road / To Grandover Parkway	South end of I-85 overlap; exit 97 signed from southbound I-73; unnumbered from southbound I-85; exit 97C only accessible from outer loop; no access from inner loop to Business 85 nor from Business 85 to outer loop
	35.8	57.6	100	Gate City Boulevard	Diverging diamond interchange
	38.4	61.8	102	Wendover Avenue
Greensboro	0.0	0.0	103 A–B	A: I-40 east – Greensboro B: I-40 west / US 421 north – Winston-Salem	West end of I-840 and northern end of US 421 overlap; northbound exit left
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Greensboro Urban Loop at Wikimedia Commons
• Greensboro Urban Loop | AARoads Interstate Guide
• Map of the Greensboro Urban Loop and Interchanges
• Greensboro Urban Area Bicycle, Pedestrian & Greenway Master Plan (October, 2006)
• NCDOT Urban Loop Project (September 19, 2012)