Project Overview

NCDOT is proposing to improve U.S. 29 to interstate standards, beginning just south of Hicone Road (S.R. 2565) in Guilford County to U.S. 158 in Rockingham County.  U.S. 29 is an important corridor, connecting the growing Greensboro area with southern Virginia and serving communities in Guilford, Rockingham, and Caswell Counties.  U.S. 29 also provides important freight access from manufacturing centers in the Piedmont region to Virginia and the northeastern United States.  The proposed improvements are part of an ongoing effort to designate all of U.S. 29 from Hicone Road in Greensboro to the Virginia State Line as Interstate 785 and are expected to improve overall traffic operations along the corridor.

The transportation improvements to be completed under this project are still to be determined, but they are expected to include updated interchange designs, additional service roads, and widened roadway shoulders in select locations. With these improvements, properties along this section of U.S. 29 will no longer have direct access to U.S. 29; instead, access will be provided via service roads that connect to the interchanges along the corridor.     

The project is divided into two sections.

Section ‘A’ begins just south of Hicone Road (S.R. 2565) in Guilford County and extends north to the N.C. 150 interchange.

Section ‘B’ begins at N.C. 150 and extends north to the U.S. 158/N.C. 14 interchange in Rockingham County, as shown on the map above. Any future improvements to U.S. 29 north of the U.S. 158/N.C. 14 interchange will be developed as part of a separate project.

The project development phase of the R-5889 project, which covers both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sections, began in early 2023. During this phase, NCDOT will work with the public and representatives from federal, state, and local agencies to identify concerns, develop proposed design options, and gather comments about the project.  

A detailed review of the potential environmental impacts of the project will be conducted before a final decision is made on the alternative to be constructed.

The public will have multiple opportunities to participate in the project development process, which will be announced on this website and through local media. 

Project History

Improvements for the U.S. 29 corridor were previously identified in multiple county and local plans, including

• 2020 Greensboro Urban Area Comprehensive Transportation Plan
• 2021 Greensboro 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan
• 2010 Rockingham County Comprehensive Transportation Plan

To program the R-5889 project in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), NCDOT developed a feasibility study in 2019 to screen initial design options and to estimate the project’s potential cost. 

Project Development Process

NCDOT follows a multi-step process to determine the alternative that will be constructed for a project. The process generally includes the following steps:

• Identifying the project’s purpose and need
• Collecting data on the current environmental conditions, populations, and community resources within a defined study area
• Developing preliminary design concepts
• Assessing the effects of the design concepts to the environment and to the public
• Selection of a preferred alternative
• Completion of an environmental document that summarizes the process and the alternative selected for construction

Public engagement is conducted throughout this process and includes an opportunity to review the proposed design concepts before a preferred alternative is selected. You can participate at any time during this process by leaving your comments on this website or sending them to the project study team. 

Project Funding

* Estimated costs are preliminary and subject to change

Project Timeline

* Future dates are preliminary and subject to change

Project Comments

NCDOT accepts comments throughout all phases of project development.  

All comments will be taken into consideration, and carry equal weight, regardless of submittal method.

The public is encouraged to leave comments using this webpage, email, or phone number:

Email: US29-Upgrade@PublicInput.com

Phone Number: 984-205-6615      enter project code   2572  to leave a message

Project Contact

 Chris Smitherman, PE

NCDOT Division 7

NCDOT Project Manager

P.O. Box 14996

Greensboro, NC  27415

Project Contact

 Beth Smyre, PE

Dewberry

Consultant Project Manager

2610 Wycliff Road, Suite 410

Raleigh, NC 27607

Title VI Feedback

To ensure we’re hearing from a broad set of voices, would you be willing to share (completely anonymously) some information about yourself?

If so, please click here: https://publicinput.com/NCDOT-Title-VI

RESOURCES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS 

Although the N.C. Department of Transportation works to minimize the number of homes and businesses displaced by a road project, it is inevitable, in many cases, that a certain amount of private property is needed. The following information explains right of way acquisition and answers questions about the process.  

     
Right-of-Way Brochure Single Page Layout      Folleto del Proceso de Adquisición de Bienes Raíces
Right-of-Way Frequently Asked Questions

Right of way Acquisition Process Videos

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