It has been years in the making, but now drivers in Apollo Beach have a new way to get to U.S. 301 and avoid congestion on busy Big Bend Road.

What You Need To Know

The new extension is making life easier for thousands of residents.

Apollo Beach resident Jenny Shallow says it's no secret that south Hillsborough County is growing.

"It just seems in this area they build homes a lot quicker than they build the infrastructure to support the homes, so it gets quite frustrating," she said.

But some of those frustrations are coming to an end with the new Apollo Beach flyover. It opened to traffic this weekend and connects Apollo Beach with U.S. 301.

"There's so many more new people here," said Lyft driver Frank Mutino. "So I think this will help out a lot and take a lot of the traffic off of Big Bend.” 

The new route is a typical four-lane road that passes over Interstate 75.

A big focus of the project was safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

There are 8-foot sidewalks on the north side of the road, and a dedicated bike lane.

That's the biggest upside for Anthony Wright, who said he is no stranger to pulling his little ones along while he rides.

"I think they definitely had families and safety in mind,” he said. “I think with the new school coming here, there will be a lot more traffic with people coming to the neighborhood."

Residents say one thing is for sure: The new flyover will get its fair share of traffic.