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CHARLOTTE — People heading to the Greek festival in Charlotte might notice some changes along the way.

The event starts on Thursday at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. In front of the church, construction on East Boulevard is finished after months of work. Organizers are hopeful the new-look Dilworth Road won't cause any problems for the popular festival.

More than 500 pieces of the Baklava are being prepared and are among the thousands of foods that are homemade prior to this week's Greek Festival in Charlotte. Festival co-Chairman John Malatras said that after 33 years, getting everything ready comes naturally. While this installment will look similar to recent ones—the biggest change might be out in front of the church.

East Boulevard has a completely brand new look and feel to it.

"They promised us that it would be done before the festival opened, so we're glad it's done," said Malatras.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation recently finished a project called the “East Boulevard Ped-Scape.” Construction during the last eight months centered on the area between Dilworth Road West and Euclid Avenue.

The biggest change is that the road is now three lanes instead of four. The crosswalks and medians are to key pieces to the $1.3 million project. The city said the objective is to slow down traffic, increase pedestrian safety and beautify the area.

"We get more traffic through the area at a slower speed so it actually creates greater safety for car drivers, for bike riders and for pedestrians," said Michael Barnes (D) Charlotte City Council.

Although the street looks different, organizers don't expect it to cause any bumps in the road for the festival. Organizers said the section of East Boulevard in front of the church is usually shut down to one lane during the Greek festival and it will be again this year. They said the construction will not affect festival parking.

The event runs from Thursday through Sunday.