A road project that has kept a portion of Pickett Road closed since summer is expected to be complete by the end of December.

Since summer, a stretch of the western end of Pickett Road has been closed. The N.C. Department of Transportation is replacing a 400-foot stretch of bridge running over Mud Creek, which is near Pine View Circle.

The work was slated to be done around Thanksgiving but has run a bit over. But DOT Engineer Cadmus Capehart said Monday the project should be done by the end of the year, if the weather cooperates.

The road closing has been a hindrance for residents of western Durham near the Orange County line because Pickett Road is the most direct way for many residents to get out to U.S. 150-501 via Garrett Road.

It hasn't been great for residents of the nearby Garrett Farms subdivision either, since their neighborhood has become a popular cut-through. 

 The offiicial, DOT-recommended detour sends motorists along Erwin and Cornwallis roads.