GREENSBORO, N.C. — The final section of the Greensboro Urban Loop is set to open early next year, a few months ahead of schedule.
It's brought some growing pains to homes and businesses along the way, including a small farmer's market on Church Street.
Co-owner Paul Laparra put down roots as an employee at Garden Valley Market years before he bought it.
"We love that people can find therapy in the outdoors, in the flowers and the ambiance," Laparra said. "It was just one of those things that you knew you wanted to do when you were doing it."
The ground he planted on shifted over the years because of construction on the loop.
"Our front property used to be out past the ditch out there. Over the years of the Urban Loop coming into existence, it just seems that got backed up farther and farther and now we have a permanent location but we’ve lost a good 30-40 feet in front of our store," Laparra said.
The project affected the market because it is just feet from the overpass on Church Street.
"It's been a pain. We've dealt mostly with dirt, noise, loud construction, and traffic," Laparra said.
With construction set to finish early in 2023, there are signs of an economic bloom along the loop.
About nine months ago, Kelly Kolb moved into a new neighborhood across the overpass from the market. He initially worried the loop would be too noisy but instead, he's found a growing sense of convenience.
"It starts at Elm Street, which is just down here so we can just hit that and go to the Wendover area or south going to Charlotte and things like that," Kolb said. "Obviously going to Raleigh will be even easier when it opens up the rest of the way."
Laparra and his customers can't wait to smell those roses too. He lives in Burlington and said commuting to their Greensboro location will be easier after the loop opens.
"It's gonna be real nice being able to just hop off the bypass and go up to lights and get here. It will help us," Laparra said.
Despite supply chain problems and labor shortages, NC DOT said they're a bit ahead of schedule on the project.