Last section of Greensboro Urban Loop opens

State and local leaders gathered Monday for a ceremony marking the opening of the final segment of Greensboro’s Urban Loop project.

Greensboro Board of Transportation member and chairman Mike Fox had the countdown to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and with a quick "One, two three..." it was officially opened, finally linking Elm Street to U.S. 29 via the new stretch of highway.

It’s the final chapter of a project that was proposed more than 50 years ago.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan says the loop’s completion will ease traffic on the city’s main roads and provide an economic boost for the region.

“Greensboro/Guilford County, we’re really known for our logistics — getting people and products where they need to be," she says. "This is going to enhance that. This loop will connect to most of the interstates and it gives people a quicker way to travel around the city of Greensboro.”

State Sen. Phil Berger of Rockingham County told the ceremony crowd that construction of the final leg cost more than $300 million. It was completed months ahead of schedule.