NCDOT opens bridge spanning future Winston-Salem Northern Beltway

road work cones constructionThe Walkertown-Guthrie Road bridge over the future Winston-Salem Northern Beltway was completed last week, reopening an important secondary road connection in eastern Forsyth County that had been closed since January 2016, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.

Pat Ivey, division engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation in Forsyth County, told the news agency that the bridge was supposed to open earlier, but last-minute work postponed the opening until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept 22.

“There are 18 bridges on this project, and this was the first one to be completed. It was a high priority because the detour was lengthy,” Ivey told the news agency, adding that the Reidsville Road bridge would likely be the next completed because, while it’s under construction, traffic is being diverted around the construction site on a temporary road.

According to the news agency, future segments slated for construction in the coming years will finish the eastern leg of the beltway, adding 17-miles to Interstate 74. Sections of I-74 in North Carolina that have been completed include a connection between I-77 and U.S. 52 near Mount Airy; the freeway from Winston-Salem through High Point, Asheboro and south toward Rockingham that merges with I-73; and a section from Rockingham to Lumberton.

Construction of the beltway segments northwest of Walkertown are scheduled to get under way in 2022, while segments from Business 40 south to U.S. 311/I-74 will begin in 2020.