WINSTON-SALEM – Drivers will have a new, faster, more reliable way to travel around Winston-Salem starting this weekend.
The new sections of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway between U.S. 421, Interstate 40 and existing I-74 southeast of the city are set to open to traffic early this Saturday morning — two months ahead of schedule. When open, the I-74 corridor will be complete in Forsyth County to the point where it meets U.S. 52 north of the city.
“With the opening of this entire eastern section, Forsyth County drivers finally have full interstate connectivity around the city's southeast side, saving travel time and reducing congestion through the urban core," said N.C. Department of Transportation Division 9 Engineer John Rhyne. “It also marks a major milestone in our broader effort to complete the urban loop around Winston-Salem."
Work on the new segments began in 2022.
The “AB" segment extends the beltway from U.S. 421 to just south of I-40, including a major, multilevel interchange at I-40. The “AA" segment continues the corridor from just south of I-40 to the I-74 interchange. Together, these projects span about 3 miles and represent $387 million in infrastructure investment delivered by prime contractors Webber, LLC and Flatiron Dragados Construction, Inc.
The project features a total of 12 new bridge structures, a Diverging Diamond interchange at Kernersville Road, nine new culverts, and five sound barrier walls. It also widened 2.8 miles of existing I-40 to three lanes in each direction and widened and resurfaced 2 miles of N.C. 192 (the old I-74 connector to I-40). A total of four million cubic yards of soil was moved for the project.
Benefits of the completed corridor include:
- A direct bypass around downtown, reducing congestion and travel time
- Improves regional and statewide mobility
- Enhanced roadway safety by diverting heavy through‑traffic
- Support for economic growth along the U.S. 52, U.S. 421, I‑40, and I‑74/former U.S. 311 corridors
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.