GREENSBORO, N.C. — UPDATE: The Greensboro Urban Loop's final section, stretching from N. Elm Street to Highway 29, is officially open.
NCDOT officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon to celebrate the decades-long project coming to a completion.
At noon, the last stretch of the highway officially opened to drivers.
Glynis Goolsby and her husband were one of the first to try out the new roadway.
Goolsby says a trip that would have taken 30 minutes, with the loop, took 15 to 20 minutes.
“We saw the workers and they were kind of waving us through like come on, no it’s open and so they were so excited, and they were doing their arms like this. You know how the truckers used to blow their horns, so we blew our horn, and they were so excited, it was nice to see that," said Goolsby.
The Urban Loop officially opened Monday, January 23rd in Greensboro cutting driving time, nearly in half, for those on the road.
The final stretch of the highway runs from North Elm Street to Highway 29.
Goolsby recalled her experience along the roadway, “We got on we knew what to expect because we knew what exits were there, but still strange just driving on a road and you’re not familiar with those exits so we were definitely paying attention because we needed to take the battleground exit.”
Drivers will be able to go the 49-mile loop around the Gate City and it should be roughly a 20-minute commute.
Board of Transportation Chairman, Michael Fox, said over the last week, crews were putting the finishing touches on the road. They were putting up guardrails, and big signs, and adding other safety measures.
Construction began in 1999, but the planning for I-840 began in the 1960s.
The latest stretch has been under construction for the better part of four years at $150 million. The price tag for the entire 49 miles totals more than $1 billion.
Fox said it is an exciting day. He encourages drivers who plan to travel the new stretch of highway to be patient.
There will also be new traffic patterns and stoplights at new intersections, so give it time as drivers adjust.
"Whether they want to go south, east, west, any direction, they're going to be able to do it a lot, a lot quicker, and also a lot safer," said Fox. "This is a new modern road with great markings and wide sides on it, so that if you were to have a problem, a flat tire or something, you could have plenty of room to get off, so we think the safety impacts of it are going to be tremendous as well."
Fox says people should enjoy the new section of the roadway, but remember it is not a racetrack.
The speed limit along the newest section is 65 miles per hour.