The ribbon cutting for the section of the urban loop, aka I-840 between Battleground Avenue and Lawndale Drive, was held Thursday, Nov. 7.
But don’t rush out to drive on this new section of interstate because it’s not open yet. Ribbon cuttings, like ground breakings, often have more to do with the schedules of the dignitaries involved than with the construction timetable.
The ribbon cutting was Thursday, but this section, estimated to cost $55 million, isn’t expected to open for traffic by regular folks until December. Those invited to the ribbon cutting were allowed to drive on the new section, which isn’t quite finished, which means it lacks signage, including speed limit signs.
Gov. Roy Cooper with the help of state and local officials cut the ribbon for the Battleground to Lawndale section and dedicated the section of I-840 from Battleground to Bryan Boulevard to former Chairman of the NC Department of Transportation Board J. Douglas Galyon, who died in February.
Before becoming a member of the NCDOT Board in 1992, Galyon served as both a Greensboro city councilmember and a Guilford County commissioner. The old train station, after it was renovated to become a multimodal transportation center in 2004, was named the J. Douglas Galyon Depot. Galyon served on the NCDOT Board until 2008.
The next section of the urban loop from Lawndale to North Elm Street is projected to be completed in 2020 and the final section from North Elm Street to US-29 is projected to be opened in 2022. The entire section from Lawndale to US-29 is estimated to cost $121 million
When completed, the Outer Loop will be a 44-mile interstate highway around Greensboro.
