GREENSBORO, N.C. - Day by day, the Greensboro Urban Loop is coming more into focus.
Roads are being laid, bridges are going up and the Triad is getting more connected. It's a process many years in the making.
On Monday, engineers gave WFMY News 2 an updated overview of the entire 44-mile loop that will make it easier for folks to get from one side of the city, to the other.
With most of the loop completed years back, now, the northern portion of the loop is the main focus – and two of the four phases there are complete. The stretch from Bryan Boulevard to Battleground Avenue opened in April. The stretch from US 29 to US 70 opened last December.
To complete the loop, two phases are next - from Battleground to Lawndale, and from Lawndale to 29. Construction for both is happening simultaneously.
The Battleground to Lawndale stretch should be complete by late 2020. As for Lawndale to 29, they're clearing trees to make room for the new road, then they'll work on grading and paving. The end date for the entire loop is 2023, but engineers are hoping to push that up to 2021.
The plans are clear on paper, but people living nearby have lingering questions. Take Laurie Stevens, for example. She lives near Lake Jeanette, and has concerns about noise and traffic.
“To have a highway, it's going to make me feel like I'm really living in a city,” said Stevens, “I'm not here to stop the project. I’m sad that it’s happening. I wish it wasn’t happening. There isn't anything that I can do about it. Hear the birds in the background? I just hope that I still hear some peace.”
Engineer Patty Eason, who works on the project says there are great benefits to a loop, it’s just a matter of being patient through the last phases of construction.
“You’re going to get from the eastern side of the western side a whole lot faster, a lot less conflicts because there's not traffic signals and there's not driveways,” she explained.
NCDOT engineers say they’ve conducted the studies, and areas with substantial noise will get sound barriers.
Citizens have also brought up concerns with property values. Realtors say it really depends on exactly where you live, but living closer to the loop could help increase values, since it will be easier to navigate the city.
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