EWA BEACH, Hawaii -- A long-awaited roadway arrived on Monday for Ewa residents when officials opened 1.3-mile portion of Kapolei Parkway.

The stretch of road links Papipi and Geiger roads. Drivers can now avoid the highly congested Fort Weaver Road to get to the H-1 Freeway or Kapolei.

John and Judi Higgins have lived in Ewa Beach since 1975. They said they are ecstatic with the new portion of the Kapolei Parkway.

"It's just been a great benefit to us. It takes traffic off of Fort Weaver Road. We can cut through here and get where we're going without going on Fort Weaver Road. It's great," John Higgins said.

"It opens up Kapolei to us. We go every Friday night to the movie. It's a wonderful place," Judi Higgins said.

Fellow Ewa Beach resident Justin Del Rosario agreed, saying it will cut down on his daily morning commute by 10 minutes.

"This Kapolei Parkway, what we dedicated today is a step forward in making them see that traffic relief is on the way," Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.

The best part for Oahu taxpayers is that developers Haseko and Gentry Homes paid the $18 million bill.

The entire parkway, which is years away from completion, will eventually run from Ewa Beach through Kapolei to Ko Olina.