WINDSOR – After three years of construction and even more time in the way of planning, the end is near.

The new US 17 bypass around Windsor is set to be open for traffic starting June 16, right on schedule.

North Carolina Department of Transportation employees are coordinating with local officials to plan a formal dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. on that day to commemorate the event.

Windsor Mayor Bob Spivey, who has long been an active supporter of the bypass, will be speaking and welcoming the assembled group.

&uot;We’re certainly very excited that it’s opening.

We feel like it’s going to be an asset to Windsor and Bertie County to have the new road open,&uot; Spivey told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald on Wednesday.

The ceremony is scheduled to be held on top of the overpass on the south side, close to Burger King.

In the event of rain, it will be held underneath the overpass of Wakelon Road.

The June 16 finish date is the same day that was set for construction completion when the project first began in 2005.

A 30-day extension has been granted for a small portion to be finished on the Hardentown side of the bypass, but two-way traffic will still be able to pass through while the other side is being completed.

Reportedly, North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Lyndo Tippett will also be in attendance for the event.