Fuquay breaks ground on bypass

Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — Officials in Fuquay-Varina broke ground on a highway project Wednesday that promises to ease congestion through downtown.

A new two-lane highway, a portion of the Judd Parkway, will connect N.C. Highway 55 in Holly Springs to N.C. Highway 401 in Fuquay-Varina. It is expected to be complete by Nov. 2010.

"It's very significant because it ties two of the major arteries coming into Fuquay together and allows people to move around the outer perimeter of the community," Mayor John Byrne said.

Voters passed a bond referendum two years ago to pay the estimated $4.5 million cost of the project.

It is the first step in a plan for a six-mile loop around is Fuquay-Varina.