GREENSBORO (AP) ó Interstate 40 in Greensboro is returning to its old ways.
The News & Record of Greensboro reported Tuesday the state Transportation Department is changing signs for I-40 to go through its old route in Greensboro instead of on the newest stretch of the Greensboro Urban Loop.
DOTís divisional engineer for the Greensboro area, Mike Mills, said excessive noise on the new western loop is one reason for the change. Another reason is that drivers and some emergency responders had trouble following the new route, he said.
ěMotorists who were not used to the area were having problems,î Mills said. ěItís difficult trying to read all those road signs going as fast as youíre going through there.î
The change wonít be as complicated as it could have been because DOT stopped changing original route signs several months ago. Thatís when officials grew worried that rerouting I-40 had not been a good decision.
ěWhen we started getting complaints from motorists, we put that contract on hold,î Mills said.
Many commuters and other drivers familiar with the Triad continued using I-40ís original route all along, because it is more direct than the bypass. Itís about five miles shorter than taking the Urban Loop around Greensboro, he said.
The signs should be changed ó again ó before winter. The new section of the urban loop will be designated Interstate 73.
Mills He said drivers on I-73 headed north and south of Greensboro and local drivers using it to get around the city more efficiently will still use that part of the urban loop, which covers 7.7 miles between I-40 and Interstate 85 southwest of Greensboro. It opened in February.
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Information from: News & Record, http://www.news-record.com