After two years of construction, the east leg of the Antelope Valley elevated roadway is now open and ready for traffic.

Mayor Chris Beutler and state officials celebrated the opening of the ''Big X'' interchange with a ribbon cutting.

The east leg takes drivers over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks, along the south side of State Fair Park and under the north 27th street overpass, where drivers can connect to north 27th street and Cornhusker Highway.

"We have turn the Big T into the Big X ", said Greg Maclean, Director of Public Works for Lincoln. "We have increased the functionality of transportation through this corridor in a major way. This is a major improvement to the city infrastructure and it is the kind of thing that will provide benefit to the community for generations to come."

Construction of the east leg cost $24.8 million.

According to Maclean, drivers should have an easier time driving through the University area and they won't have long delays during game days and other events.

The Antelope Valley Project is a $246 million flood-control, transportation and urban revitalization project east of downtown.