LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Kansas transportation officials will host two public events to celebrate the completion of a long-waited highway project nearly three years after the start of construction.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is scheduled to host a ribbon cutting and public walk-bike event Nov. 11 for the opening of the east leg of the Kansas 10 South Lawrence Trafficway, according to the Kansas City Star. The walk-bike event will go through a half-mile section of scenic wetlands, which are adjacent to the highway.

The 6-mi. (9.6 km) stretch of four-lane highway will complete a loop around the city of Lawrence and links Kansas 10 on the east side of Lawrence to a part of the highway that opened on the west side in 1998.

KDOT officials said the road will open before Thanksgiving to the public.

The project, which was nearly 20 years in the making, is expected to give drivers a shortcut from southern parts of the area to Interstate 70. The bypass will help ease congestion on Lawrence's clogged streets as well.

In case of inclement weather, the ribbon-cutting event will move to the KDOT Lawrence Sub-area Office. Officials said in the same circumstance, the walk-bike event would be canceled.

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