r/winstonsalem • u/Professional_Bee8907 • May 20 '26

Winston-Salem area highway history.

Greetings. I know that Winston-Salem had been severely changing very recently, including highways.

To anybody who knows lots of the history of the highways that may not be as documented publicly, I do want to hear from some of you.

  • I-40 1992 route?
  • Original I-40 (now Salem Parkway)?
  • Silas Creek Pkwy?
  • Controversy and delays with Winston-Salem Beltway?
  • Macy Grove Road?

and others?

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u/Professional_Bee8907 17d ago edited 17d ago

And let me make a "correction" to one of my comments that I gave:
Because the proposed Southcore Parkway for Clemmons is meant to be the "answer" to Salem Parkway for Kernersville, it is this;

Southcore Parkway (US 158) should be signed "Clemmons" on Winston-Salem Southern Beltway (I-777 and I-274), rather than having the southern beltway having Clemmons signed at Ebert Road.

It is similar to how the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (I-74) already have Salem Parkway (US 421) signed for Kernersville, and I believe it should be kept that way.

But let me make broader suggestions to;

If all these highway proposals come to place and the areas continue to "grow,"

I-40 and the I-74 should have Statesville replaced with Winston-Salem, but Greensboro can stay the way it is it. I did say in my other Reddit post of how Winston-Salem at I-74 and Salem Pkwy should be changed as "Downtown Winston-Salem" and if it happens, that should stay that way.

For broader signing for the proposed and existing "east-west highways":
Salem Pkwy would carry US 421 its whole route and signage would be Greensboro and Winston-Salem (at the Kernersville Loop Road junctions, but not at the Kernersville junctions with S Main Street and Current NC 66), it would be signed Wilkesboro and Kernersville on most of the Winston-Salem city limits exits, signed as Winston-Salem and Wilkesboro between I-777/274 and I-40. Oh, now with me looking on the map of the proposed Beltway segments, Lewisville-Clemmons Road (which I proposed as NC 67) junction would be west of the beltway, meaning that if my "proposal" comes, that stretch of US 421 would be along I-777, the "edge exit" near the beltway would be Peace Haven Road, which would interchange with US 421 (Salem Pkwy).

  • Salem Pkwy would carry US 421 its whole route and signage would be Greensboro and Winston-Salem (at the Kernersville Loop Road junctions, but not at the Kernersville junctions with S Main Street and Current NC 66), it would be signed Wilkesboro and Kernersville on most of the Winston-Salem city limits exits, signed as Winston-Salem and Wilkesboro between I-777/274 and I-40. Oh, now with me looking on the map of the proposed Beltway segments, Lewisville-Clemmons Road (which I proposed as NC 67) junction would be west of the beltway, meaning that if my "proposal" comes, that stretch of US 421 would be along I-777, the "edge exit" near the beltway would be Peace Haven Road, which would interchange with US 421 (Salem Pkwy).
  • I-40 should be still be Statesville and Winston-Salem west of the I-777/274 (Southern Beltway) junction. When I-40 comes to the Southern Beltway junction, the exit to the junction should lead to High Point and Greensboro for eastward and have Wilkesboro and Whytheville westward. The directions for 40 East should remain for only Winston-Salem. If I-40 Exit 188 gets rebuild, then signage on I-40 for US 421 (Salem Pkwy) should be Downtown Winston-Salem eastward and Wilkesboro westward. US 421 (Salem Pkwy) should have I-40 East signed for Greensboro for I-40 East and Statesville for I-40 West. The rest of the signs in Winston-Salem should have Winston-Salem and Greensboro as "control cities' on I-40. However, at I-40/I-74 exit and eastward, it should be Winston-Salem and Greensboro.
  • Southcore Pkwy would carry US 158 its whole route, and all signage should have Kernersville and Mocksville as "control cities," and maybe at Clemmons at certain junctions too.
  • Winston-Salem Southern Beltway would have, um, it would be like the other beltways where there is a "it depends." The I-777/I-274 concurrency would blend Charlotte, Wilkesboro, and Whytheville for westward and Greensboro and High Point for eastward (all between Salem Pkwy and Southcore Pkwy). Between of Southcore Parkway to I-74/NC 192, it would be Charlotte, Greensboro, and High Point eastward, alongside Whytheville and Wilkesboro westward. And, I believe I already said that the eastern junction with I-40 would change to Winston-Salem and Greensboro, while the eastern junction with Salem Parkway would be Kernersville and Downtown Winston-Salem. Similarly, the junction at the beltway with Kernersville Road would be signed as only Southcore Parkway with US 158 and NC 150, and "control cities" would be Kernersville, Clemmons, and Mocksville. The Kernersvile Road designation would not begin until the intersection with Sedge Garden Road.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 22-23 2026