The North Carolina Department of Transportation will open a new single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Erwin and Mount Moriah Roads in Chapel Hill on Wednesday.

The roundabout will open to traffic beginning at 4 p.m. on July 23.

However, construction will be ongoing, so expect delays during peak traffic times during August.

The new roundabout is one of 12 that have been built by the NCDOT in Orange County. There are designed to make traffic flow more smoothly through intersections, reduce congestion, as well as reducing pollution and fuel use.

Studies show that roundabouts also reduce traffic accidents at intersections without stoplights by 41 percent.

The NCDOT advises drivers to use caution in the area of Erwin and Mount Moriah Roads during construction. There will be warning signs about the roundabout posted on both roads leading to the new roundabout.