U. S. 52 is one of the main routes connecting North Carolina with the Midwest and the coast.  Through Winston-Salem, U. S. 52 is experiencing a variety of traffic congestion and safety problems.  The 9.5 miles of U. S. 52 from University Parkway to the I-40 interchange is now experiencing a traffic count of between 76,000 and 88,000 vehicles daily.  This is well over its capacity rating of 54,000 vehicles.  With the opening of the I-74 connector in Mt. Airy, truck traffic has grown to be 15 percent of the total traffic volume.  With ramps built for low speeds, dangerously short merging lanes, and multiple entrance and exit ramps, accidents are a daily occurrence.  During 1995, 391 accidents were reported on the 9.5mile stretch in Winston-Salem and during 1996, 348 accidents occurred.  The 739 accidents during this period resulted in 343 citizen injuries.  These accidents, which include a number of truck turnovers on short ramps, cause frequent traffic delays adding danger, air pollution from idling traffic, and time losses for businesses.

Winston-Salem is anxiously awaiting the time when the Northern Beltway is a part of the area's transportation network.  The Northern Beltway will provide much needed relief for U. S. 52.  Due to the immediate needs on U. S. 52 and the programming timetable for the beltway, interim measures are required to sustain this major artery at a minimum standard. The NCDOT has a study for short-term upgrades for U. S. 52 through Winston-Salem. These include paving shoulders to add a third lane through town, widening of some bridges and possibly closing a few ramps.  The study estimates that significant short-term traffic congestion and safety improvements could be achieved for $20-25 million dollars.  This is a short-term imperative.  The state's short-term study was completed in 2003 with construction scheduled for fiscal year 2005.  A portion of U. S. 52 northbound from Business 40 to 25th Street could be improved prior to the bridge replacement.

Future I-74, connecting the Mid-West to Charleston and Myrtle Beach, S.C., will run north-south through Winston-Salem, following the route of the eastern segment of the proposed northern beltway.

For more information on I-74, please visit:  www.interstate-guide.com/i-074_nc.html

There are two possibilities for the future of passenger rail transportation for Winston-Salem:

1. A regional commuter rail system 
2. A stop in Winston-Salem on the Southeast High Speed Rail Line

Commuter Regional Rail for the Triad

The effort to make regional rail in the Triad a reality is being overseen by the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) The rail system will eventually connect each major urban area in the Triad.  Three studies are currently underway on the future of regional rail.  A written strategic plan was composed with input from community leaders and PART officials that enunciates a time line and necessary steps to obtain a local options tax,as well as investment from the General Assembly and the U. S. Congress.   To view the Triad Major Investment Study for commuter regional rail for the Triad, visit the PART website.  (www.partnc.org). 

For more information about commuter passenger rail service in the Triad and North Carolina, visit the North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division website: www.bytrain.org

The federal ISTEA legislation approved by Congress in 1991 listed a high-speed rail corridor project between Washington, D. C. and Charlotte, North Carolina.  To enhance Winston-Salem's inclusion on the line, the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce joined the Southeastern Economic Alliance (SEA www.southeastalliance.com).  The SEA is composed of 14 chambers of commerce from six Southeastern states.  Each area chamber is lobbying for high-speed rail to come to its city.  The SEA hired a consulting firm to recommend the best plan of action to secure high-speed rail in the Southeast, and public hearings on the project were held in Winston-Salem in October, 2001.  On March 5, 2002, the NCDOT released  its Tier I, Draft Environmental Impact Statement "Recommendation Report."  The study concludes that Winston-Salem will have "connectivity" the Southeastern high-speed rail line.  In later discussions with Deputy Secretary of Transit, David King, it  was established that the NCDOT plans to provide Winston-Salem with high-speed rail service that uses the same funding method as every other segment of the Southeastern high-speed rail line.

You can find more information on the Southeastern High Speed Rail Corridor at:  http://www.sehsr.org/