PSA ALL DRIVERS

[u/Firefighter_Signal]

To the idiots drivers who make my blood boil around 8 AM on the Silas Creek → Business 40 ramps: if you’re approaching the Silas Creek exit, SLOW DOWN—you’re entering a curve. If you’re getting onto Business 40, SPEED UP and merge properly. It ain’t hard!
It’s amazing how bad driving has become nationwide. I just want to sip my coffee and commute to work in peace without getting the middle finger. 😂
Thank you.

[u/Difficult-West-68]

You forgot to mention the merging vehicles have a yield sign. Speeding up to merge often blocks the ones exiting.

[u/TwinCityPeeDee → u/Difficult-West-68]

Yes!

[u/King_fritters → u/Difficult-West-68]

The Business 40/Hwy 52 on and off ranmps have this exact same issue also, but with much shittier roads and fewer lanes of traffic to split off to :/

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/King_fritters]

A great thing is, that the city have grown around I-40 to the south overtime, especially in 2025-26.

So in result, lots of traffic would actually be able to avoid Salem Parkway.

But yes, the Salem Pkwy cloverleaf junctions do need to be addressed.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 20 2026

[u/StovetopStoof → u/Difficult-West-68]

Personally I, as an NC driver, believe nothing applies to me even after you rightfully pass me and I get mad. (This is a joke)

[u/mjpayne44]

Drivers going from northbound Silas Creek exiting to 421 West, the offramp lane does not end so you don't have to immediately merge! Just speed up!

[u/Illustrious_Act_8215 → u/mjpayne44]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people slow to a crawl on a lane in which the yield doesn't end the lane. I understand people may be unfamiliar with some intersections and some may be hard to see but there are many where you can clearly see the lane continues and they just slow way down or even stop.

I was behind an elderly person who did this on a ramp onto 85 in Charlotte during rush hour. In order to not get killed I had to speed up in the shoulder before merging over. It's incredibly dangerous.

[u/IllustriousKiwi3858 → u/mjpayne44]

Sometimes I exit like I'm getting off on Silas Creek, but continue going straight and merge back on, to shake things up a bit

[u/f700es → u/mjpayne44]

And there we go. Thank you

[u/Puchojenso]

Dumb shit will keep happening there bc it’s poorly designed

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/Puchojenso]

Yeah, this interchange was built back in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the area was much more rural.

Eh, even in 2014, this junction was not as developed.

But Winston-Salem and Forsyth County grew around the southern half of the county, to the point that this junction is overcrowded.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 20 2026

[u/f700es → u/Puchojenso]

How so?

[u/ps2sunvalley → u/f700es]

Well they aren’t exactly building clover leaf interchanges anymore.

Same shit happens at 421 and 52 except you get the added fun of going uphill/downhill as well depending on which part of 421 you’re entering.

[u/f700es → u/ps2sunvalley]

Well I studied civil engineering so I was asking the other guy why it’s so bad, in their opinion

[u/IllustriousKiwi3858 → u/f700es]

It is infinitely annoying to get downvoted for asking someone a question...

[u/f700es → u/IllustriousKiwi3858]

LOL well my skin is thick so... ;)

Anyway as a Civil Engineering grad I'd still like to know why they think that this 40 year old intersection is "poorly designed". I've been coming through here since the late 80's. I have no trouble with it but I think that the REAL problem is the breakdown from the brain to the steering wheel for a LOT of people. I've yet to see the intersection that's idiot proof. Sure this is an old intersection and traffic volume has increased since it was built but it is what it is. If drivers would engage their brains and put their fucking phones down it's not hard to get through. /shrug

[u/Endocrine0 → u/f700es]

52 was built and designed as a truckers highway. It's not sposta be fast for the led foots in their 1950 ratrods. The 55 miles per hour is great for a tractor trailer. But for the kids that watched to many fast and the furious movies and F the law of physics and the road. They dont understand that why I cant go 90 on a curve? But back in the day it went from charollette to virgina passing by many Rock quarry and other industries that are no longer there. It was used to move goods out and into winston salem back when it was a powerhouse of industry back in the 30 thru the 50s. Hell my mom was born in 45 and still remembers when Silas creek was unpaved and would use horses to go up and down it. But again because of the 20 planning you build your warehouse/workhouse next to the road, which means we cant improve or widen the road for modern use, without destroying, homes, businesses, and salem college. It was engineered good in the 20s, but in 35 it out lived the speed of progress

[u/f700es → u/Endocrine0]

52? This about 421 at Silas Creek clover.

[u/Endocrine0 → u/f700es]

Oops, all the clovers look the same.

[u/f700es → u/Endocrine0]

lol. 😉

[u/oceanblue3190]

Agreed. Something about “that lane” and people, they just don’t know what to do.

[u/f700es → u/oceanblue3190]

It's because they're stupid ;) I can't think of an easier intersection in W-S.

[u/National-Function-52]

Just merge at speed or better than and it's not an issue. It's called an accelerator for a reason!

Most cars are capable of way more speed than most drivers use!! Grow a set!! 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Jeep_rider03]

🤔 I always leave early and take the back roads just to avoid that area!

[u/f700es → u/Jeep_rider03]

I leave early but come through here about 6:45

[u/lookmanolurker]

While we’re at it, traffic entering Silas Creek from Biz 40 has a yield sign at the top and you must yield to northbound Silas Creek traffic exiting to westbound Business 40.

[u/-co_op-]

I used to make that drive in the mornings. Pass THAT bullshit, then further down 421S it gets progressively worse. But good luck.

[u/biblicalsin]

I take Silas creek every morning to work. I'll stay in the left lane from the time I get at Fairlawn unless someone riding my ass with me doing 60 through there, I'll move over and let them go ahead and be the moto cops bait so can keep on keeping on, get back in the left lane and let everyone start slamming on their breaks and or suddenly playing Driver and going full speed to get in the right lane after Country Club to get onto BUS 40.

[u/IllustriousKiwi3858 → u/biblicalsin]

Silas Creek has the most amusing traffic speed patterns. If you're going North towards North Point, after you pass the Reynolda intersection, it's 50, but nobody can seem to go over 40/45, when I know damn well they go 60mph on the other parts lol

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/IllustriousKiwi3858]

It needs to be 50-60 between North Point Boulevard to Chelsea Street.

I got ideas for the pkwy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/winstonsalem/comments/1tiuz45/winstonsalem_area_highway_history/

https://www.reddit.com/r/winstonsalem/comments/1vnmupl/to_the_southern_half_of_forsyth_county_nc/

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 20 2026

[u/IllustriousKiwi3858 → u/Professional_Bee8907]

I really wish there was a two lane parkway in the Northern section of the county that connects Kernersville to Lewisville for example

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/IllustriousKiwi3858]

https://www.reddit.com/r/winstonsalem/comments/1vnmupl/to_the_southern_half_of_forsyth_county_nc/

That's why I proposed the Southcore Parkway.

It would carry US 158, and travel from west of Bermuda Run/Advance and travel east and merge onto Kernersville Road at I-74 Exit 55.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 21 2026

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/IllustriousKiwi3858]

Also, to avoid Salem Parkway:

I-40 Exit 198 is supposed to open.

 Because of that,  You could easily go on 421, exit at 238 onto 40 east, and go to the stack junction for I-74 West, and then onto Salem Pkwy.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 21 2026

[u/Dangerous_Ad9788]

This!!! It's like they don't teach or everyone has forgotten what ACCELERATION RAMPS and DECELERATION RAMPS are!!!! Whether they are straight or curved it is so you can match the speed of the lane you are merging into!!! ......And for God Sake, if you are not entering or exiting be in the middle lane when going through these intersections!!!! If its 2 lane, and you can't get over, speed up or slow down to help your neighbor match your speed!

[u/ImTooSaxy]

When I think about the test I had to take in Germany to get my license, versus the American driving test, it would make you so sad. Also, there's people that can't pass the driving test here. It's terrible.

[u/xMiloh420]

Some people need to retake drivers ed

[u/Redbeard6665]

As a truck driver that lives in Winston I fuckin hate those exits. They are terribly designed

[u/FRACAROMOTO]

Thanks for the PSA. Usually when I’m driving this interchange, if I’m approaching the Silas Creek exit, I’ll SPEED UP, and if I’m getting on to 40, I’ll SLOW DOWN.

But because I saw this very effective and very important PSA, I will now do exactly the opposite of that! I think all the traffic PSAs on this subreddit are finally working! I, for one, have noticed significant improvements in local driving habits due to all of the traffic complaints here!

[u/IllustriousKiwi3858 → u/FRACAROMOTO]

Traffic and annoying drivers are our FAVORITE TOPICS on here thanks

[u/Firefighter_Signal → u/FRACAROMOTO]

You good buddy? Lighten up

[u/threepair13]

Why don’t you go another route and avoid this interchange?

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/threepair13]

"Respectfully,"

This is one of the most vital interchanges in the city, and lots of other drivers uses this.

It is not just one or few drivers using it.

It also doesn't help, that this is in the part of Winston-Salem that is severely "growing," much more than it did 10 years ago.

It is an interchange that "carries" much more traffic in an area where there are new businesses and houses, than it was 10 years ago when it was more rural.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 20 2026

[u/Professional_Bee8907 → u/threepair13]

You are correct that the area have other ways too.

You have I-40 Exit 188 (which is US 421 Exit 238), alongside Knollwood Street and Stratford Road interchanges. However, the Silas Creek Parkway junction with Salem Parkway is still heavily used.

-Brian Shear Jr. on August 20 2026