Greensboro Urban Loop

The Greensboro Urban Loop (also known as Painter Boulevard) is a planned 41-mile (66 km) beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 421 on its southern section, and Interstate 73 from U.S. 220 to Bryan Boulevard along the west side of Greensboro. In the future, it will carry Interstate 785 from I-40/I-85 east of downtown to U.S. 29.

The parts of Urban Loop that are currently open are:

• the southern half (signed as Interstate 73 and US 421 on the southwest section, and Interstate 85 and US 421 on the southeast section);
• a portion of Future I-840 that runs 2 miles (3 km) from I-40/I-85 east of downtown to U.S. 70;
• a 3-mile (4.8 km) section of I-840 (co-signed with I-73) on the west, between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard, which will provide better access to the Piedmont Triad International Airport. This section is signed with a plate above the shield, as it does not yet connect to any major roads.

Construction is completed on the southwest part of the beltway, which opened February 21, 2008. The next section of the northern part of the Loop to be constructed is the northwest segment between Bryan Boulevard and U.S. 220, to begin in 2013. Work will start on the northeast section between U.S. 70 and U.S. 29 (Future I-785) in 2014. Land and right-of-way property is being bought for the segments between U.S. 220 and Lawndale Drive, to start construction in 2017, and Lanwdale to U.S. 29, work to start currently scheduled for 2019.

This is one of five freeway corridors in the Greensboro area to include the word "Boulevard" in its name. What is now Business I-85 is also known as Preddy Boulevard, what was once Business I-40 west of downtown (and is again I-40) is also known as Fordham Boulevard, and part of I-73 is planned to follow Bryan Boulevard. O. Henry Boulevard carries U.S. 29 east of downtown Greensboro.

In April 2005, the city of Greensboro voted to approve annexation of the Urban Loop into the city of Greensboro. The annexation took effect in June of that year.

A small portion of Interstate 73 is completed and signed along the Urban Loop, and there is a wrong-way concurrency with Interstate 85 for approximately one mile. It should be noted however: as a result of the freeway's unusual design, I-85 and I-73 do not share the same roadbed. A traveler following I-73 through the intersection will not at any point be on mainline I-85, despite signage that indicates otherwise to minimize confusion.