HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Cecil Ashburn Drive officially reopened on Thursday, August 20th.
The road was widened from two to four lanes making the commute to and from Old Big Cove Road and Four Mile Post Road much easier.
People in the area say they're excited that the road reopened early after being under construction for a year and a half.
Hampton Cove resident, Katherine Luders, said, "It's nice. It's amazing that it's done on time and maybe even ahead of schedule, and we're just really excited about it."
Katherine Luders has to take Cecil Ashburn Drive from Hampton Cove to drop off and pick up her kids from school. Although she's happy the drive will be much easier now, she believes a new high school would make the project even more worth it.
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"I would say for certain, if there were a high school in the Hampton Cove area, then for sure the road would pay off immediately because so many people would move out there," said Luders.
When the road closed in January 2019, traffic in other areas, like Governors Drive and Highway 431 became congested.
Terry Whitehead said, "Very heavy traffic. I had to get up very early, leave my home in New Hope at 5:30 in the morning to actually get across the mountain. If you waited until 7 o'clock, it was like bumper to bumper all the way to Owens Cross Roads pretty much."
Now that it's open, even people who don't take Cecil Ashburn Drive have noticed a difference in traffic flow.
"Now, the traffic is a lot lighter and you can actually get on 431 and get to Governors a lot sooner," said Whitehead.
Many businesses struggled to get customers during the road closure, but now city leaders say the project is attracting more businesses.
"I think growth is good especially if we're going to get more restaurants and that kind of thing in the Hampton Cove area, better shopping, better restaurants," said Luders. "I think being in the Hampton Cove area myself, that's what people over there really want, and if it could bring some of that to Hampton Cove, we would love that."
City leaders say they appreciate the patience of the public during this project and are happy to give it back to the community.
WATCH: Cecil Ashburn Drive construction comes to a close
