ROCKY MOUNT -— Construction is set to start soon on a roundabout meant to improve the operation and safety of a multi-legged intersection on Benvenue Road.

The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the $4.8 million contract to the Raleigh-based Fred Smith Co. this month. Construction is expected to be underway by July, and the project is scheduled to be completed by next spring.

The contractor will construct a multilane roundabout where Benvenue Road, which is N.C. 43, Battlepark Lane and an off-ramp, and an on-loop for U.S. 64 converge.

Roundabouts improve safety by reducing the risk of serious crashes, and they also improve traffic flow, according to information from the NCDOT.

Benvenue Road, which also splits into Falls Road and Peachtree Street to the south of the intersection, will remain open to traffic throughout construction. Drivers, however, should slow down, be alert for workers and equipment and proceed cautiously through the work zone after it has been set up, said NCDOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale.

At some point during construction, the contractor will need to temporarily close the off-ramp and the on-loop to U.S. 64 for paving, grading and other work related to the project. This closure will last two weeks, and detours will be posted. The NCDOT will announce the details of this temporary closure when they are finalized.