A highway outside Pembroke will close for about two months starting next week for the construction of a roundabout.

A contractor will close the intersection of N.C. 710 and Deep Branch Road starting at 7 a.m. on Monday. The intersection is scheduled to open by late November.

The signed detour will send drivers onto N.C. 711, Redmond Road, Deep Branch Road, Three Bridges Road and U.S. 74 Alternate. Drivers should be alert for crews and equipment, and allow for extra time during their commute.

During the closure, workers will remove the existing traffic signal and some of the asphalt, as well as grade, pave and install concrete curbs, and place a new culvert pipe underneath N.C. 710. 

Construction began in July, after the N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $3 million contract. Construction is expected to be complete by next summer.

Roundabouts improve safety by requiring drivers to slow down and move in one direction as indicated by signs and pavement markings around the circle, which will have a raised concrete island. They also improve traffic flow by eliminating the need to stop and wait at a red light.