JAMES CITY, N.C. (WITN) -A major highway project in one Eastern Carolina county is bringing about a big change on how drivers can get to some businesses.

On Wednesday, a new service road will open to traffic at East Thurman Road off U.S. 70 in James City.

The new service road will run behind Ace Hardware, Battleground Antiques, Triton Development, and United Storage.

It’s all part of a $322 million upgrade to a five-mile stretch of U.S. 70 that will eliminate multiple traffic lights and cross traffic.

The new service roads are being built to move the existing access roads away from the highway, improving safety and access to local businesses, says the DOT.

The James City project started in the spring of 2022 and is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2026.