MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – The first diverging diamond interchange in Florida is now open. It's on University Parkway at Interstate 75.
There are 12 lanes of continuous traffic and no left turn lanes to get onto I-75. The change was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Sunday, but heavy rain pushed that time back to noon.
This is the largest interchange of its kind in Florida.
As you can see in this virtual video provided by the Florida Department of Transportation, drivers begin on the right side of the road and travel onto the left side to get onto the highway.
Police will be monitoring the interchange through Tuesday morning to make sure everything goes smoothly.
This unique traffic flow will reduce the number of crashes and congestion on University Parkway, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The project began in August 2015. Other cities in the state, including Tampa, are now considering it.
