Where:   US 311, from end of Winston-Salem Beltway, Forsyth County to North Main Street, High Point, Guilford County Length:    Approx. 7 Miles Needed:   Upgrade to Interstate Standards Signed As:                  (Also Future I-74 Corridor in Guilford County)

I-74 is currently to be routed from the planned Winston-Salem Northern Beltway onto the existing US 311 freeway to the new US 311 Bypass of High Point. From the recent chosen alternative for the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway Eastern Half Extension, the Beltway and US 311 will meet about a mile west of the Union Cross Road interchange. The existing US 311 freeway needs to be upgraded to Interstate standards.  There is no mention in the 2009-2015 STIP, however, about funding any upgrade to this roadway. During the Summer of 2002 NCDOT had a construction crew repaving US 311 and widening the shoulders of the highway at a cost of $4.4 million, however, from appearances in the Fall of 2002 (see below) it does not appear that this widening was quite to interstate standards, and thus work related to to I-74. (1) It may be that NCDOT was considering a request a waiver from the FHWA to allow them to sign it as I-74 once the Beltway connection is completed around 2015. Contract documents for the High Point East Belt (Segment 6) though suggested this section would be signed as Future I-74, presumably when that contract is completed in 2010 and exits got new I-74 milepost numbers (see list below). However, in the summer and  fall of 2008 NCDOT put up new signs along this segment with I-74 milepost numbers, including the current US 311 exits with Ridgewood Road and I-40 though that are not along the proposed path of I-74. (2) (For a complete list of exits go to the I-74 exit list.) The reason these numbers run to current I-40 could be that NCDOT is not convinced the Beltway route may not be the final I-74 route. If US 52 is upgraded through Winston-Salem conceivably I-74 could take that to I-40 then east to US 311, at least temporarily. (2) As the last act of this contract in December 2008, and also apparently not waiting until the Segment 6 roadway is complete, they also put up Future I-74 signs along the roadway, see photos below. (3) In somewhat confusing move, on the Guilford County part of the roadway they also though replaced one of the two Future Interstate 74 Corridor signs, the one heading west, similar to the one seen here.

The following I-74 Exit Numbers were being applied to this segment in November 2008 (4):

Exit 55 I-40 East Greensboro (US 311 merges with I-40 West)*
Exit 56 Ridgewood Rd*
Exit 59 Union Cross Rd
Exit 60 High Point Rd
Exit 63 NC 66 Kernersville
Exit 65 Business US 311 High Point
*Not along currently planned I-74 alignment.

Photos from November 2002:

Photos taken of sign construction in the Summer of 2008:

This shows posts being installed for future I-74/US 311 signage (next to the US 311 sign) to be put on a green sign, now standard NCDOT practice for multiple route highways, and a new exit sign for High Point Road which will have exit numbers. (7/20/08)

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Here's a closer view of the posts for the new High Point Rd exit sign set right behind the existing sign. You may also notice the exit gore sign in the background the metal posts have been removed for most of them, instead they are being placed on temporary wood posts. (7/20/08)

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Here's some new photos from November 23 and December 14: NCDOT has started replacing the signs along US 311.

The first exit is for High Point Road, now exit 63 (12/14/08)

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Here is the first Future I-74 sign going westbound after the NC 66 exit, notice the I-74 shield is similar to ones put up for I-295 in Fayetteville and not the I-73/74 segment near Ellerbe. (12/14/08)

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The next new sign is for the High Point Road Exit, Number 60. (11/23/08)

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This photo shows the numbered exit sign and gore sign for High Point Road. (11/23/08). 

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They also have installed signage for the next exit westbound, 59, the exit to the Dell plant, Union Cross Road.

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Here's the entrance ramp for Exit 59.

 
The last new exit sign going westbound is for Ridgewood Road, Exit 56. (12/14/08)

The old sign for the I-40 East Exit can be seen beyond the ramp to Ridgewood Road. (11/23/08)

While the I-40 exit signs do not have numbers, the exit gore sign is numbered 55 in case I-74 is routed to the west end of the US 311 freeway. (9/18/09)

 

A closer look at the new Future I-74 signage. Notice the distance of the sign from the roadway and the width of the shoulders, not up to interstate standards, it implies NCDOT does not plan an upgrade in the near future. (12/14/08)

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The last new sign going eastbound is for the NC 66 exit, the last exit in Forsyth County. (12/14/08)

I-74/US 311 shields courtesy of David R. Kendrick's Shield's Up!.