Eight minutes is the average amount of time Southwest Austin drivers will save by using the newly opened flyover bridge connecting MoPac and U.S. Hwy 290, according to Mayor Lee Leffingwell.

"We're happy to hand those eight minutes back to them," he said at the flyover's ribbon cutting Dec. 5.

The City of Austin and Texas Department of Transportation representatives announced completion of the ramp, which connects southbound MoPac to westbound Hwy. 290.

It is part of a series of changes along the Ben White Boulevard corridor, Leffingwell said, citing planned improvements at the intersection of Ben White Boulevard and the Y at Oak Hill, which will begin next fall.

"This is another very important step in our continuing efforts to provide congestion relief to Austinites who have suffered for a very long time," Leffingwell said.

Greg Malatek, TxDOT Austin district engineer, said work on the newly opened flyover started in October 2010 and was expected to take two years.

"As of 4:30 this morning, our contractor, Anderson Columbia, was able to get this direct connect ramp open," he said. "We estimate about 29,000 vehicles a day will be using this ramp."

The City of Austin financed $13 million for the project, and TxDOT is expected to pay back 80 percent of the estimated $9 million construction cost during the next 10–15 years, according to the Austin Transportation Department.

The flyovers aim to help eliminate travel through traffic signals to reduce congestion, fuel use and air pollution.