ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Drivers heading west on Interstate 26 through Buncombe and Henderson counties will notice a major change.

The N.C. Department of Transportation opened I-26 West to its final four-lane traffic pattern Friday morning, marking a significant milestone in the interstate widening project.

For the first time, motorists can travel all four westbound lanes along the entire 17-mile stretch from U.S. 64 (Exit 49) in Henderson County to Brevard Road (Exit 33) in Buncombe County. Before construction began, the corridor had just two westbound lanes.

The new traffic pattern also opens the additional lanes through one of the corridor’s most frequent bottlenecks — the climb near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“It’s certainly a big day,” NCDOT Resident Engineer Luke Middleton said in a news release. “I got here early this morning to ensure the new paint dried and to see it open with my own eyes.”

While the lanes are now open, the project is not yet finished.

Crews will continue work in several locations in Buncombe County through the weekend, with short-term lane closures expected. NCDOT estimates about six months of construction remain on the westbound side west of the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge.

Work also continues on the eastbound side, where crews are building a new interchange at Exit 35. The interchange will connect I-26 with Fredrick Law Olmsted Way, a new roadway that will extend west to Brevard Road (N.C. 191). Transportation officials expect that portion of the project to be completed by the end of the year.

Drivers should also expect additional overnight lane closures in the coming weeks as crews complete diamond grinding, install permanent pavement markings and finish concrete work.