Winston-Salem's Eastern Beltway Nears Opening with Increased Cost and Western Half Unfinished
Winston-Salem is preparing for the opening of the final stretch of its eastern Beltway on September 19, more than six decades after the Northern Beltway was first proposed in Forsyth County's 1965 Master Transportation Plan. The eastern route, which will complete Winston-Salem’s eastern I-74 connection, has an estimated cost of $1.067 billion, approximately $372 million higher than the 2008 projection of $694.7 million. This 54% increase is not adjusted for inflation and reflects various factors including higher construction and land costs, revised traffic projections, environmental mitigation, and design changes. The opening will create a continuous, approximately 17-mile eastern route connecting the existing I-74 southeast of Winston-Salem to the completed Beltway north of Salem Parkway, leading to U.S. 52. While the eastern portion is nearing completion, much of the western half of the full 34.5-mile Northern Beltway remains years from construction, with some sections still lacking funding.
