Construction of the western leg of the southern bypass around Rome impacted some drivers along Alabama Highway on Wednesday.

Crews spent most of the day placing long concrete beams across the roadway just west of Whispering Oaks Lane and Coosa High School.

Traffic was stopped for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time both ways as cranes removed each of the four beams from its carrier and set them up for a bridge over the Alabama Highway that is part of the West Rome Bypass.

The work is a reminder that the nearly $43 million project is swiftly moving along.

“The project is on schedule and is approximately 35-percent complete,” said Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman Mohamed Arafa. “It is the largest road project in Northwest Georgia under construction right now.”

When completed, the West Rome Bypass will span 5.4 miles between the Coosa River near Mayo’s Bar Lock & Dam north to Ga. 20 West.

Work began on the section in November 2011 and is expected to be completed in March 2015.

It will be connected to the southwestern leg of the bypass between Black’s Bluff Road and U.S. 27 South, which is already complete.

Arafa said the western portion would include a total of 10 bridges.

C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. of Marietta won the contract for the western segment with a $42.6 million low bid. That plus an extra $6 million for utility relocation costs are being funded by the state’s transportation budget.