FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. -- The NCDOT has closed a connector road in Forsyth County to make room for more work on the I-74 Northern Beltway project.

State Road 1840 will be the meeting point for the future beltway and U.S. 52.

The department closed it to expedite work on transmission lines, bridge demolition, and culvert construction.

Engineers say this is a very important piece of the project.

"It's critically important to get in there early so we can get to all the culvert construction we need to do," says Assistant Resident Engineer Nicholas Librandi. According to him, they need "to move, like I said, Duke transmission lines to get them out of the way, and allow us to construct the railroad bridges that we'll have to do as those take additional time."

There are a number of ways to get around the closure:

• Take Hanes Mill Road, University Parkway at Exit 114
• Get off at N.C. 65 in Rural Hall and pick up N.C. 66 there

Engineers expect to keep it closed until September of 2021.