A new stretch of highway officially opened Monday that could save you time and a little bit of money.

It's the U-S 70 Bypass, 11 miles of road connecting Interstate 40 and U.S. 70 in Clayton. The bypass is expected to ease the heavy congestion on nearby roadways, congestion that creates frustration and fuel waste for drivers.

"It's been a long time coming and I'm glad it's finally open," said Princeton resident Christie Malham, whose had to deal with the traffic lights and stop-and-go that occurred on what is now business 70.

It took awhile to get the $123 million project underway, because before they ever turned the first shovel-full of earth for the bypass, the highway was delayed until officials could find a way to protect the endangered Dwarf Wedge Mussel, which lives in a creek by the road.

But now that the road's opened, it's being looked as an economic boon to the Johnston County area spurring development through easier access.

"It makes it easier for people to travel there to parts beyond Clayton," said Mickey Bast of the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce.

Christie Malham lives in Princeton, just off of U.S. 70. She can't wait to begin using the new bypass on a regular basis.

"Our daughter's a competitive gymnast here in Smithfield, and we have to travel quite a lot of times to Raleigh for competitions," she said. "Most of the time we have to be there at 7:30 in the morning. That's rush hour and a terrible time to be traveling on U.S. 70 to get to where we need to be."

One of the frustrations drivers had with what is now business 70 is the amount of traffic lights on certain sections.

Wasting time while idling can also add up to a lot of wasted fuel. According the U.S. Department of Energy, the average car burns a half gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling.

"Now that gas has hit $3.99 where I live, cutting down on your commuting times is going to be a huge savings in my pocket," Malham said.


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