The route is an expressway for a significant portion of its length, blending freeway elements such as grade-separated interchanges, shoulders, serving as a spur between its northern terminus at Bethabara Road to US 421.

The route is also a vital connection to other locations in the city such as Wake Forest University, Hanes Mall, and the LJVM Coliseum.

The route, especially on the southeastern stretch, uses a boulevard grade, with several at grade-intersections, and further direct accesses to several commercial districts.

It then passes the campus of Forsyth Technical Community College before leaving the busy district where the road then meets Bolton Street at a folded diamond interchange.

The road again becomes commercially developed as it passes Hanes Mall Boulevard, in a busy shopping district, and the Forsyth Medical Center.

At this point, the speed limit increases to 50 MPH, passing an intersection with Fairlawn Drive, which also acts as an interchange connector to Reynolda Road.

[1] On October 5, 1959, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (known as the State Highway Commission at the time) approved spending $500,000 to build a partial loop on the outskirts of Winston-Salem.