| Painter Boulevard | |
|---|---|
| Greensboro Urban Loop | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NCDOT | |
| Length: | 14.4 mi (23.2 km) |
| Existed: | 2004 – present |
| History: | Completion scheduled for 2014 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: | Bryan Boulevard in Greensboro |
| I-40 / US 421 in Greensboro I-85 / I-85 Bus. / US 29 in Greensboro Future I-73 / US 220 in Greensboro I-40 / I-85 / I-85 Bus. in Greensboro |
|
| East end: | US 70 in Greensboro |
| Highway system | |
The Greensboro Urban Loop (also known as Painter Boulevard) is a planned 41-mile (66 km) beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 421 on its southern section, and Interstate 73 from U.S. 220 to Bryan Boulevard along the west side of Greensboro. In the future, it will carry Interstate 785 from I-40/I-85 east of downtown to U.S. 29.
The parts of Urban Loop that are currently open are:
Construction is completed on the southwest part of the beltway, which opened February 21, 2008. The next section of the northern part of the Loop to be constructed is the northwest segment between Bryan Boulevard and U.S. 220, to begin in 2013. Work will start on the northeast section between U.S. 70 and U.S. 29 (Future I-785) in 2014. Land and right-of-way property is being bought for the segments between U.S. 220 and Lawndale Drive, to start construction in 2017, and Lanwdale to U.S. 29, work to start currently scheduled for 2019.[1]
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 is also known as Preddy Boulevard, what was once Business I-40 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. O. Henry Boulevard carries U.S. 29 east of downtown Greensboro.
In April 2005, the city of Greensboro voted to approve annexation of the Urban Loop into the city of Greensboro. The annexation took effect in June of that year.[1][2]
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.
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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.[2]
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.[3][4]
This exit list covers the entire Greensboro Urban Loop that is constructed so far.[5][6][7]
| Mile | Old exit | New exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | US 70 | Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance | ||
| 21 | I-40 east / I-85 north – Durham, Raleigh | No exit number counterclockwise | ||
| 21 | I-40 west / I-85 Bus. south – Greensboro | |||
| 129 | Youngs Mill Road | |||
| 128 | Alamance Church Road | |||
| 126 | US 421 south – Sanford | Signed as exits 126A (south) and 126B (Greensboro) | ||
| 124 | South Elm-Eugene Street | |||
| 122C | US 220 north – Greensboro | Clockwise exit is exit 122C; no exit from I-73 south to US 220 north | ||
| 220 | 95A 122B |
US 220 south / Future I-73 south - Asheboro | Counterclockwise exit is exit 95A Clockwise exit is exit 122B |
|
| 219 | 97A | I-85 Bus. north / US 29 north / US 70 east to US 220 north – Greensboro | No exit from I-85 south/I-73 north | |
| 218 | 97 122A |
Groometown Road to Grandover Parkway | Counterclockwise exit is exit 97 Clockwise exit is exit 122A |
|
| 218 | 97B 121 |
I-85 south / US 29 south / US 70 west – High Point, Charlotte | No exit number clockwise I-73/US 421 North is exit 121 from I-85 south |
|
| 214 | 102 | Wendover Avenue | ||
| 212B | 103A | I-40 east | Signed as exit 103A clockwise | |
| 1 | I-40 west / US 421 north – Winston-Salem | No exit number clockwise; Traffic continuing on the Urban Loop was to use exit 212A | ||
| 2 | West Friendly Avenue | |||
| 3 | Bryan Boulevard – PTI Airport | Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||
| Interstate 840 | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Greensboro |
| Length: | 5 mi[8] (8 km) |
Interstate 840 (abbreviated I-840) is a planned 21-mile (34 km) east–west auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System, forming the northern half of a beltway around 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 and a 3-mile (5 km) stretch on the west side between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard which was opened on 18 December 2007. This section provides better access to the PTI airport.[3] Both are signed as Future Interstate 840 (the western section is also signed as Future Interstate 73) with a FUTURE plate above the shield, due to neither section connecting to any significant roadways.
When Interstate 785 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 and 480 near Cleveland, Ohio.
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