DENVER -- The massive Transportation Expansion Project that spanned over five and a half years is finished.

On Tuesday, the Downing exit was the scene of a celebration of a $1.67 billion project finished ahead of schedule. Downing is now open for the first time since 2001.

"Years ago this was a dinosaur," said Gov. Bill Owens.

"It's nice to come down here to the narrows," said one construction worker. "It looks about three times as wide as it did when we got here."

The Interstate 25 flooding thanks to a 1940s drainage system is now a thing of the past.

For years 230,000 vehicles a day have traveled through the I-25 at Interstate 225 interchange. The new T-REX version runs much smoother.

There is quite a difference between the old and the new views of I-25 at Bellview.

"I think early on I was very angry at T-REX," said Walton Stinson.

Stinson said his business lost $5 million in sales because of T-REX construction. Yet, he said he admires the dinosaur-sized project.

"Now that it's over, it was worth it," said Stinson.

"We tolerated it. It was an inconvenience," said homeowner Bill Curtis. "We could live with it, but now - just go on to some other project."

Before Owens helped re-open the last T-REX affected highway ramp, Curtis tried it out on his bicycle.

"For all the bicycle riders in Denver - this was my farewell to them - to that highway," said Curtis.

All major construction is over, but while Tuesday's ramp re-opening was called "the last big step," there are still some minor finishing touches.

The light rail portion of T-REX won't open until Nov. 17.