Crews have started work on a multi-phase renovation of Rochester’s famous “Western Can of Worms,” a headache-inducing stretch of highway near the Gates-Greece border. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that this project intends to untangle the area, reducing the more than 1,000 car accidents that happen there annually, or almost three every day.

The project will restructure the area in four phases: adding bridges connecting area streets to 390, forks to connect 390 to the interstate and other roads, and new connections to 490. Finally, Lyell Avenue will receive new bicycle lanes, sidewalks, wider shoulders, and noise barriers at the end of the project.

“For the traveling public, this will ultimately mean a safer commute to your destination, but it’s going to be inconvenient for a while with lane reductions and construction,” Mark Assini, Gates town supervisor, said in a statement to the Democrat and Chronicle.

These lane closures are a safety and efficient measure, as crews will be working in high traffic areas. While 35% of on-the-job injuries and 14% of deaths are caused by heavy machines, those are just some of the common risks on an active job site. OSHA data reveals that faulty scaffolding causes 4,500 construction injuries and 50 deaths every year. To keep drivers, pedestrians, and workers safe around the infamous Can of Worms, the Department of Transportation will also notify travelers of any lane and road closures.

Joseph Leone, the executive director of Unions and Businesses United in Construction, told the Democrat and Chronicle that this project is part of a larger effort to improve the Rochester area economy.

“It is critical and transformative,” he said. “If we’re going to advance our efforts to move more manufacturing and industry, we’re going to have to move more people and materials.”

The Democrat and Chronicle also reports that the first phase of the project will involve replacing the southern section of the Lyell Avenue bridge. Funding for phase one came from a $10.8 million package from the state government that is allocated to repair seven Rochester-area bridges. Last year the sorry state of Rochester’s bridges became a major story after a piece of concrete fell off the Lyell Avenue bridge and onto a car.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing $32 million in “Fastlane” funding for bridge repairs, and adding $13.5 million more for the second phase of this project, which is expected to begin later this month. The DOT helps fund similar infrastructure projects all over the country, as maintaining the nation’s systems of roads, bridged, and highways is expensive work. Even something as small as traffic marking paint added up to a $454 million industry as recently as 2014.

While it may be too early to know when the third and fourth stages of the Can of Worms project will begin, project directors are optimistic. James Stack, executive director of the Genesee Transportation Council, said in a statement to the Democrat and Chronicle that while the timeline is not finalized yet, the project is part of a five-year DOT plan already approved by the state government.

“The design the DOT has looks like it’s really going to make a difference in safety and allowing the interchange to flow better,” he said.