SANFORD, Fla. — More than a year after opening the final portion of the Wekiva Parkway, tens of thousands of drivers are using the new expressway.

“It’s less aggravating because you’re just on the highway, instead of on surface streets and dealing with traffic and lights, and all that,” said Glen Pawlowski, who lives in the Sanford area.

Pawlowski says using the tolled expressway has cut his drive time by 10 or so minutes during each of his trips.

“It’s nice, it’s easy, you know, a lot less stressful,” he said.

When the final segment of the Wekiva Parkway, also known as State Road 429, opened in January of last year, it meant the Central Florida Beltway around I-4 was complete.

That final stretch of the Wekiva Parkway, which includes the I-4 and 417 interchange, now sees 25,000 trips daily.

All those vehicles on the elevated toll road mean a lot less traffic on local roads.

When Pawlowski doesn’t have to travel long distances, he’ll stay off the Wekiva Parkway, and instead take the surface highway, State Road 46.

SR-46, between Lake and Seminole counties, used to be plagued with backups and crashes.

Now Pawlowski says it’s a smooth, roundabout-filled, quiet road.

“It really just facilitates the local traffic, so the amount that we really have to contend with on a day-to-day basis, that amount of traffic is really reduced,” he said.

Another key aspect of the Wekiva Parkway has been the protection for animals.

The Florida Department of Transportation says wildlife crossing bridges provide nearly a mile and a half of safe passage under traffic for animals, and FDOT maintenance staff report they don’t respond to as many dead wildlife incidents since the parkway was finished.