HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) -- The North Carolina Department of Transportation is in the final stages of preparing to begin construction of a road expansion that will focus on a 4.4-mile stretch of Skeet Club Road down to Interstate 40 on Johnson Street and Sandy Ridge Road. The project has been in the works for years, and now the changes are finally happening. According to the NCDOT, the road averages around 26,000 cars a day. According to their data, the area is growing. By 2044, they’re projecting that 39,500 cars will travel the road. They believe now is the time to make changes. “They’ve been talking about this project for 15 years,” Max Coltrane said. Coltrane has lived in his home on Sandy Ridge Road for 56 years, and the NCDOT will soon own a part of the land for a $70.4 million project that will widen the road. “I know it’s needed, but I hate to see it go. It’s going to be terrible," Coltrane said. Coltrane is losing a large chunk of his front yard to the project, and he’s not happy about it. He does admit it’s needed. “It’s definitely needed. During rush hour in the morning ... It’s almost impossible to get out on the road,” Coltrane said. The NCDOT says this is because Johnson Street and Sandy Ridge Road are key north-south routes in the area, and it connects High Point and Greensboro. According to the team lead on this project Brian Ketner, the project will bring a four-lane road with a median, bike lanes and a multi-use path and sidewalks at some parts along the 4.4-mile stretch. The project is currently in the utility relocation phase. The process has been broken up into three phases. Phase one of construction is expected to begin this summer, starting at Skeet Club Road and Johnson Street.