WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Drivers, your commute time might be quicker just in time for Thanksgiving travel.
The 34.5-mile Winston-Salem Northern Beltway is one step closer to completion.
The beltway begins at US-158, which is just southwest of Winston-Salem. It ends at I-74, southeast of the city.
Section one is where workers have made progress. They are doing final work to connect I-74 to US-52.
Currently, there is no connection from I-74 to US-52, but come Saturday, workers will connect these two major roads.
This makes it so drivers can avoid the 421/52 interchange in downtown Winston-Salem, which is known for big delays.
Thomas Scott, NC DOT Resident Engineer for the Beltway said it will be done just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday traffic.
"Thanksgiving is a big travel holiday all across the country and especially in this area and I think this corridor will be well utilized," Scott said. "It'll create some safer travel and hopefully some expedited time for some of the people traveling. We just ask drivers to be safe. Crews are still doing construction, and while it may not be actively going on, you're going to be riding through sites that have safety features out there so slow down and be aware and just stay safe."
Scott said to be prepared for some detours Friday and Saturday, leading up to the official opening.
NCDOT asks you not to head out there until it is fully open, which is likely to be late Saturday depending on the weather conditions.
The department is also asking drivers to use caution when traveling through the new traffic patterns.
Scott said there is still a lot of work to be done, so keep your eyes open.
"There are a lot of different interchanges in that and this is a huge site with a lot of different interchanges; there's another ramp to tie, which is Northbound 52 to eastbound 74," Scott said. "A few of these key pieces will be coming in the coming months."
As for when the new changes will be seen in your GPS, the department said this process usually takes less than a week.
When they enter work into DRIVENC.ORG, all navigation apps are alerted, and the department has a team that reports road openings and closures directly.