Final Piece of Winston-Salem Eastern Beltway Opens Saturday

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A major Triad highway project reaches a milestone Saturday as the final connections completing the eastern portion of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway are scheduled to open to traffic.

The new roadway completes the eastern loop connection between the existing beltway, U.S. 421/Salem Parkway, Interstate 40 and I-74 in Forsyth County. The N.C. Department of Transportation says the full Northern Beltway project is designed to reduce congestion and improve safety on heavily traveled routes around Winston-Salem, including U.S. 421 and U.S. 52.

NCDOT lists the overall 34.5-mile Northern Beltway project at an estimated $1.74 billion, including about $1.067 billion for the Eastern Loop. More than 100,000 vehicles and trucks travel through the project area each day.

The Sept. 19 opening completes the eastern portion after years of phased construction and gives drivers a new interstate route around the city.