PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The new Gateway Expressway opened in Pinellas County on Friday afternoon, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

For the first time, drivers have new connections between U.S. 19, the Bayside Bridge and Interstate 275.

What You Need To Know

  • The long-awaited Gateway Expressway opened on Friday afternoon

  • Two new elevated, four-lane toll roads connect drivers to I-275 — one from U.S. 19 and the other from the Bayside Bridge

  • The project also includes new tolled express lanes along I-275, from just south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North, one in each direction

  • BELOW: More about the new road names, toll pricing

The $600 million project opened after more than six years of construction and several delays that included the pandemic but also the large scale of the work.

Two new elevated, four-lane toll roads connect drivers to I-275. One from U.S. 19 and the other from the Bayside Bridge.

The project also includes new tolled express lanes along I-275, from south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North, one in each direction.

FDOT on Wednesday said using the new lanes will be free for the first seven days after they are opened. After that, pricing will be:

The biggest change drivers should see is less congestion and easier access to and from I-275.

Greg Deese, an FDOT engineer, has worked on the project since the beginning.

"Really going to become a highly used facility. You have a lot of regional traffic between U.S. 19 and I-275," he said. "It really was about five projects in one. So a project that complex inevitably runs into delays."

The Gateway Expressway is part of several state projects to help ease traffic congestion in the area as the population grows.

What are the new roads?

State Road 690: A new elevated four-lane tolled expressway from U.S. 19 to I-275. The road is built in the median of 118th Avenue North.

State Road 686A: A new elevated four-lane tolled expressway from the Bayside Bridge to I-275. The road is built in the median of Roosevelt Boulevard between the Bayside Bridge and Ulmerton Road.

I-275 Express Lanes: I-275 has been widened to add tolled express lanes, one in each direction from south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North.

Impact on St. Pete-Clearwater Airport:

As part of the project, FDOT rebuilt Roosevelt Boulevard near the airport from the Bayside Bridge to Ulmerton Road as two one-way roads.

Crews also built a new airport access road that runs parallel to Roosevelt Boulevard. There's also a new traffic light at the intersection at Terminal Boulevard.

The new configuration is expected to ease traffic congestion by the airport.

Other improvements:

FDOT also repaved 118th Avenue North from U.S. 19 to 31st Court North as part of the project. Existing sections of U.S. 19 and 118th Avenue North were rebuilt, including new ramps and bridges.