U.S. Route 311

U.S. Route 311 is a United States highway that runs for 85.2 mi (137.1 km) entirely within the state of North Carolina. On its route from Eden it passes through the cities of Madison, Winston-Salem and High Point. Originally a spur route from US 11 starting in Roanoke, Virginia and ending at Rowland, North Carolina, much of the route was absorbed by US 220 in 1934. Now mostly serving as an alternate routing of U.S. 220, this highway mainly connects Rockingham County with Forsyth, Guilford, and Randolph Counties.

Route description

Along its present alignment, U.S. 311 shares pavement with US 52 and Interstate 40 in Forsyth County and Interstate 74 in Forsyth, Guilford and Randolph Counties. As part of I-74 (signed as Future in Guilford County), it runs from I-40 at Exit 196 across Interstate 85 at Exit 113 near High Point and ending at Cedar Square Road in Randolph County. The last 13 miles are part of a U.S. 311 Bypass around High Point whose third and last segment was completed on November 22, 2010. When the second segment from N. Main Street to Business 85 was completed in 2004, U.S. 311 was routed onto the Bypass and the old route through downtown was signed as Business U.S. 311. The business route was decommissioned at the request of High Point officials, however, in 2009. The remaining freeway segment under construction will take the route to U.S. Route 220, part of Future Interstate 73, near Randleman. This should be completed by the end of 2012. Currently from the temporary end of the Bypass, U.S. 311 runs west briefly along Cedar Square Road back to its old alignment along So. Main Street near the Randolph County town of Glenola. The future old alignment of the route then goes southeast through the towns of Haymarket and Sophia and finally terminating in Randleman at an interchange with U.S. 220 (Future Interstate 73/74).

Northern terminus extended

Sometime between 2000 and 2010, NCDOT officially moved the northern terminus of US 311 17.8 miles from Madison to Eden. This was done at the request of the City of Eden in hopes that having a US route leading into the city would help improve the local economy. The northern extension of US 311 was signed in the field in August 2011. From the former northern terminus in Madison, at US 220 Business / NC 704, North 311 now joins South Business 220 / East 704 out of Madison to US 220. North 311 then joins North 220 to the NC 135 interchange. There North 311 joins East 135 to Eden. Just inside the Eden city limit, East 135 ends at NC 770. North 311 joins East 770 to NC 87 where both routes are joined by North 87. North 311 / 87 / East 770 continue to NC 14. North 311 now ends at the junction with NC 14 while East 770 / North 87 join North 14.

See also

• List of U.S. Routes
• Interstate 74
• Winston-Salem Beltway
• U.S. Route 220

References

• "February 17 VA-NC Roadtrip" http://www.surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html Accessed March 30, 2007.
• US 311 and US 411 Page, NCRoads Annex http://members.cox.net/ncroads/ushwys/us311411.html#311 Accessed March 30, 2007.
• I-74 Segment 7 Page http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/i74seg7.html Accessed March 30, 2007.
• "US 311 Bypass to Open Nov. 22" http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-story-311-bypass-101121,0,6755613.story Accessed November 22, 2010.