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TPO says NCDOT picked five Winston‑Salem area beltsway projects for statewide mobility funding in new STIP cycle
Summary
Transportation officials told the council that NCDOT’s May 28 announcement selected five projects in the Winston‑Salem TPO area — totaling about $1.5 billion — for the statewide mobility stage of the 2028–2037 STIP, including widening and interstate upgrades and three western beltway sections; timing within the 10‑year window remains uncertain and local input points will be considered July 16.
Winston‑Salem — Hunter Staszak of the Winston‑Salem area Transportation Planning Organization told the city council June 15 that North Carolina Department of Transportation officials selected five projects in the local TPO area for the statewide mobility stage of the 2028–2037 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
Staszak said the five projects total an estimated $1.5 billion of the roughly $4.5 billion announced statewide and include: widening U.S. 152 and upgrading a portion to interstate standards from Exit 109 at Salem Parkway to Exit 112 at Akron Drive, continuing north from Exit 112 up to the Northern Beltway, and three sections on the West Side of the Northern Beltway (Robin Hood Road south to U.S. 421 and U.S. 421 south to I‑40). He noted this is the first time western beltway sections have scored high enough to be funded at the statewide mobility level since the prioritization round a decade ago.
Staszak cautioned that the announcement places the projects within the 2028–2037 programming window but does not specify when within that 10‑year span the funding will be programmed. He said the crucial issue will be securing programming in the first five years of the STIP so the projects do not have to recompete later. The TPO’s local representatives — including Mayor Alan Jones and Councilmember Clark — will review a recommendation July 16 to allocate local input points to improve the projects’ chances of being placed in the first five years.
City officials welcomed the selection while emphasizing uncertainty over exact timing and next steps. Mayor Alan Jones told the council he had been told the newly approved sections represented about $700 million in value and that completing the entire beltway will likely exceed $1 billion in total cost. Staff directed residents interested in details to the TPO’s web pages and public input portal for maps and comment options.
What this means: Selection at the statewide mobility stage makes these sections eligible for large federal and state funding but does not guarantee immediate construction; the timing and year‑by‑year programming decisions will determine which projects are delivered first. Local allocation of input points and follow‑up at the TPO will shape near‑term outcomes.
