WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Salem Parkway (formerly Business 40) in Winston-Salem is now open! The announcement came via the City of Winston-Salem Facebook page.
Drivers who live downtown say they're pleased to see the open road two months earlier than initially planned, and they're excited to drive on it.
But the open road will be especially helpful to first responders.
Salem Parkway is a straight shot to both Forsyth County Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
"In our business time is muscle, time is brain, time is everything, and minutes count, so now that the highway is open we can hopefully shave those minutes that were added," said Capt. Steward Swing with Forsyth County EMS.
Winston-Salem Fire Rescue said they prepared when the road was first closing down for reconstruction.
"When it first closed down we did put squads in place and had to strategically place them around the city to help with any if we had traffic congestion accidents from the highway being shut down and luckily, we did not have that issue," said Winston-Salem Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Jason Branch.
Swing isn't sure exactly how much response times changed for EMS, but he says it will be helpful now that the road is back open.
"We would use the downtown streets as well as the highways and I can tell you a number of times where I had a plan in my head and I looked over the bridge and saw that 52 is backed up and I Immediately made plan B plan A," said Swing.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) told WFMY last week they planned to open the highway on Sunday.
A Pop-up party was held at BB&T Ballpark Saturday to celebrate before the big day. Attendees of the event got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk a section of the parkway before it officially opened Sunday.
Last week drivers told WFMY reporter Grace Holland they were happy the project was close to being done.
"I just thank God that it's happening, you know and appreciate it's working out, you know. I know everybody around this area will love it," said Willie Andrews.
"[I'm] very, very excited because it has been gosh, it seems like an eternity.
It just makes it very miserable to get around so hopefully, everybody will be in a better mood when they're driving," said Jennifer Tennyson who commutes to the city from Mount Airy.
One bar owner said he noticed a slowdown since the 1.2 mile stretch of Business 40 closed in November 2018. He can't wait for it to reopen.
"It's tremendous. I mean anything that impedes people from being able to move is frustrating, so if they can get here more easily I'm looking forward to it," said Benjamin Harris, the owner of Single Brothers on Trade Street.
The $99.2 million Business 40 improvement project included the construction of Business 40 and 11 new bridges and includes the following:
• Replacing the existing roadway pavement
• Modernizing entrance and exit ramps
• Replacing nine vehicular bridges and two pedestrian bridges
• Lengthening the acceleration and deceleration lanes between ramps
• Widening existing roadway shoulders and adding new shoulders
• Building portions of a multi-use path from Lockland Avenue to Liberty Street
Other stories: