Beep, beep. Local news is moving into your lane. Beginning in the fall of 2017, Winston-Salem’s Business 40 began undergoing improvements in order to revitalize and future-proof the roads and bridges, as well as to provide for the increasing traffic demands of the city, according to Winston-Salem Business 40: Building the Future. On Nov. 17 Business 40 will be shut down entirely for the construction, which includes widening roads and bridges, repaving worn-out roads and fixing intersections, among other developments.

In approximately a year and a half, commutes will have improved, and Business 40 will be the antithesis of a road less traveled, meanwhile; students have had to deal with heavier traffic and tardiness to class and extracurriculars during their trips to and from Career Center.

“I always get to my AP Earth Environmental class five or 10 minutes late, coming from Career Center,” junior Amber Scott said.

“Most people in my third period calculus class arrive 10 to 15 minutes late to class due to traffic,” junior Evan Souza said.

Luckily, some have maneuvered their way through the changes with ease, finding different routes to get to and from Career Center and discovering that their schedule has not been infringed upon.

“It hasn’t affected my drive. I go 421, and I get onto 52 and take the exit off Liberty St.,” junior Emma Czoty said.

“I figured out an alternate route that takes only five minutes longer, and I have 45 minutes to travel. Construction on 40 doesn’t affect whether or not I get home sooner or later,” senior Kiera Cornatzer said.

Students have found ways to deal with the travel plan changes in the meantime, but they won’t have to adjust their routines for as long as they previously thought. With certain developments being potentially moved up in the timeline, the highway’s shutdown might be shortened from two years to only 14 to 15 months, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. Project and city officials are diligently working to make the process as painless as possible for Winston-Salem’s commuters.