Highway 64 Bypass Officially Opens To Traffic

The 11-mile road parallels Highway 64 from the Beltline to Wendell. Work began in July 2002 with the anticipated completion date of August 2005. In 2003, construction was halted for one month after concerns over runoff, but the project was later back on track.

County commissioner chair Joe Bryan said he remembers when he was mayor of Knightdale, the bypass was just an idea.

"My first involvement was 19 years ago. There were three lines on a map -- one to the north of Knightdale and two to the south, and there have been a lot of people over the years that have worked on this," he said.

Officials estimate over 55,000 motorists a day will use the bypass. The cost of the project was $175 million.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony began at around 9 a.m., but some drivers could not wait to try out the new road. Those drivers were cited by the state Highway Patrol for trespassing.

DOT officials said the New Hope Road interchange to the new bypass is not complete yet. Officials hope to have it completed by the fall.