Site Navigation Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee     Future Interstate 840 - Greensboro Beltway Presently Future Interstate 840 exists in two parts, a western spur from Interstate 40 near Piedmont Triad International Airport to Bryan Boulevard, and an eastern spur from Interstates 40 & 85 and Business Loop Interstate 85 to U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue). The western segment coincides with Interstate 73, and the eastern alignment may also carry Future Interstate 785 when its path is finalized. Work was completed on eastern Future Interstate 840 in 2002. The western section opened on December 18, 2007 at a length of three miles.1 Future work will extend Interstate 840 northward from U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue) to U.S. 29 with funding for that project secure for a 2013 construction start. The remainder of the project remains on hold due to a lack of funding. Western Segment of Future Interstate 840 Future Interstate 840 east & Interstate 73 north Interstate 73 north & Future 840 east leave U.S. 421 and Interstate 40 and continue north toward the Exit 2 diamond interchange with Friendly Avenue. Friendly Avenue arcs west to West Market Street south of Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) and east to Guilford College. Photo taken 12/21/08. An upcoming exits sign lists the first two interchanges of Future Interstate 840 eastbound: Exit 2 with Friendly Avenue and Exit 3 with Bryan Boulevard. It could be many years before the missing third entry is added to this panel. Photo taken 12/21/08. Future Interstate 73 north & 840 eastbound reassurance sign posted at the Market Street underpass. Market Street represents the original alignment of U.S. 421. Photo taken 12/21/08. Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 2 off-ramp to Friendly Avenue on Interstate 73 north & Future Interstate 840 east. The freeway narrows four eight to six lanes as it moves northward. Photo taken 12/21/08. Exit 2 departs Interstate 73 & Future 840 north to Friendly Avenue. Friendly Avenue continues all the way into downtown Greensboro. Photo taken 12/21/08. Passing over Friendly Avenue at the next upcoming exits sign entry. Photo taken 12/21/08. Exit 3 consists of a directional-cloverleaf interchange between Future Interstates 73 & 840 and Bryan Boulevard, an east-west freeway leading west from Greensboro to North Carolina 68. Future Interstate 73 departs Future Interstate 840 east for Bryan Boulevard. Photos taken 12/21/08. All traffic must depart the Greensboro Beltway for Bryan Boulevard at Exit 2. Bryan Boulevard was extended west as a freeway for Future Interstate 73 and to Airport Parkway for the PTI Airport terminal. Connections with the North Carolina 68 freeway lead drivers north to Oak Ridge. Photos taken 12/21/08. Northbound at the Exit 3 partition for Bryan Boulevard. Bryan Boulevard extends as a freeway to Benjamin Parkway; Benjamin Parkway continues the divided highway a short distance to the Wendover Avenue expressway at Lake Daniel. Photos taken 12/21/08 Future Interstate 840 west & Future Interstate 73 south First west/southbound reassurance markers for Future Interstate 73 & 840 posted after the Bryan Boulevard interchange on the Greensboro Beltway south. A frontage road (Chimney Rock Road) parallels the freeway southward from Old Oak Ridge Road to Friendly Avenue. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Midway between Bryan Boulevard and the merge with Interstate 40 is the Exit 2 diamond interchange with Friendly Avenue. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Exit 2 departs Interstate 73 south & Future Interstate 840 west for Friendly Avenue. Friendly Avenue constitutes an east-west arterial from West Market Street near PTI Airport to West Market Street west of downtown Greensboro. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Interstate 73 reduces to two through lanes for the continuation onto Painter Boulevard east. The right-hand lane defaults onto the directional ramps (Exit 1) for Interstate 40 west & U.S. 421 north to Winston Salem and Interstate 40 east to downtown Greensboro. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Exit 1 widens to two lanes as it leaves Interstate 73 south at Future Interstate 840's west end. Interstate 73 joins U.S. 421 south on Painter Boulevard seven miles to junction Interstate 85 & U.S. 29-70. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Exit 1 partitions into its respective ramps to Interstate 40. Interstate 40 & U.S. 421 travel six miles west to their split at the Winston-Salem Business Loop Interstate 40. Eastward Interstate 40 continues seven miles to its merge with Business Loop Interstate 85 & U.S. 29-70-220 south of downtown. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Eastern Segment of Future Interstate 840 Future Interstate 840 East Future Interstate 840 east begins and travels over Old Burlington Road on its brief journey between U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue) and junction Interstates 40 & 85. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08). Clapp Farms Road passes over Future Interstate 840 eastbound a mile north of the Exit 21 directional-cloverleaf interchange with Interstates 40 & 85 and Business Loop Interstate 85. Greensboro's Business Loop Interstate 40 was created on February 21, 2008 with the completion of Painter Boulevard southwest of Greensboro, but turned back during mid-September 2008. Note the sign changes between 2004 and 2008. Photos taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08) & Alex Nitzman (07/24/04). One half mile north of the Exit 21 ramp departure to Interstate 40 west & Business Loop Interstate 85 south into Greensboro and Interstate 40 east & 85 north to Burlington and Durham. Future Interstate 840 east otherwise defaults onto Interstate 85 south to junction Interstate 73 & U.S. 220 and High Point. Photos taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (02/23/08) & Alex Nitzman (07/24/04). A two-lane off-ramp leaves Future Interstate 840 east ahead of its merge onto Interstate 85 south. Exit 21 lies five miles east of downtown Greensboro and 32 miles west of the Interstate 40 & 85 split at Durham. Photo taken 07/24/04. Taking the Exit 21 off-ramp, drivers partition into the respective ramps to Interstate 40 west & Business Loop Interstate 85 south and Interstate 40 east & 85 north. Interstate 40 & BL I-85 head seven miles to their split, carrying U.S. 29, 70, and 220 in the process. Interstate 40 east & 85 north exit the Greensboro area for a 12-mile ride to Burlington. Photo taken 07/24/04. Continuing onto Interstate 40 west & Business Loop Interstate 85 south, drivers quickly encounter the Exit 226 partial-cloverleaf interchange with McConnell Road. Six interchanges serve Greensboro before the Interstate 40 and Business Loop partition. Photo taken 07/24/04. Future Interstate 840 West Future Interstate 840 west facilitates the movements from Interstate 40 east & 85 north onto Business Loop Interstate 85 south back into Greensboro. Exit 21 consists of a loop ramp onto the freeway west ahead of McConnell Road. Photo taken 07/24/04. Presently Future Interstate 840 is signed as simply "TO U.S. 70" on all guide signs from Interstates 40 & 85 and Business Loop Interstate 85. Pictured here is the Exit 21 ramp departure for return access to Greensboro. Note the erroneous Interstate 85 shield that was posted in lieu of Business Loop Interstate 85. Photo taken 07/24/04. Traveling northward, the only Future Interstate 840 reassurance marker along the east segment of the Greensboro Beltway lies north of Interstates 40 & 85. Photo taken 07/24/04. A U.S. 70 trailblazer lies beyond the Future Interstate 840 sign, indicating the sole connection of the two-mile freeway spur. Photo taken 07/24/04. One mile south of the Exit 19 interchange with U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue). U.S. 70 follows a multi-lane divided highway eastward from Greensboro to a point east of Future Interstate 840. Photo taken 07/24/04. Future Interstate 840 crosses over Old Burlington Road south of its end at U.S. 70. Bridges that will eventually carry the freeway mainline over Old Burlington Road and U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue) have yet to be constructed. Photo taken 07/24/04. Traffic defaults onto the Exit 19 off-ramp to U.S. 70 (Wendover Avenue) as Future Interstate 840 west ends. U.S. 70 travels seven miles east into Burlington and four miles west to its merge with the U.S. 29 & 220 (Henry Boulevard) expressway. Photo taken 07/24/04. U.S. 70 shield and guide sign posted at the Exit 19 ramp end from Future Interstate 840 west. A loop ramp carries motorists over Wendover Avenue to the federal highway. Photo taken 07/24/04. Sources: "Western Portion Of The Urban Loop To Open Tuesday." WFMY News 2, December 15, 2007. Page Updated April 22, 2009.